HikariNo's Promise
by Sailor Coruscant
Summary: Hikari-No is a Jedi trained in diplomacy and, paradoxically, the arts of war. On Domus Prime, she meets a girl of strange beauty, and their destinies intertwine. As a dark power threatens Coruscant, Hikari-No will sacrifice everything to save her world.
1. Chapter 1

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter One

The small girl squirmed in her seat. It was not that the seat was terribly uncomfortable, rather, the child was bored with the proceedings. She flicked a strand of unruly brown hair back from her face and wondered when her master would start paying attention to her again.

Mi-Rai Shinwa was a tall man, with dark brown hair and even darker eyes. For as long as she could remember, he had been there, showing her how to use the Force, and saying "watch and learn". That was what he had said to her that morning, but it seemed to her as though the grown-ups were being difficult, they kept using words she did not understand, and so she sat and watched their faces.

The first person was an old man, with lots of wrinkles like Master Yoda. His eyes were icy blue, and there was a hatred in them that she could not comprehend, that seemed to be directed at the woman at the other end of the table. The man was dressed in blue robes that reminded the girl of something that she had seen in a holocron, but she could not remember what. He had a cruel smile, and kept arguing with what her master said. 

She had been outraged by this the first time, but her master had said: "Not everyone in the galaxy sees things the same way as we do. We must be patient, and wait for them to understand. Sometimes, they will never see from our point of view, and we must accept that. Someday, little one, you will understand."

Little one. He always called her that, even though she was no longer little. She was eight years old now, and bigger and stronger than some of the boys in her classes at the Academy. One day, she would be the best Jedi ever, with more control over the Force than any of those silly boys. She would be a Jedi Master, with a pink lightsaber, no, a purple one, and she would be on the Council with Master Yoda and the others.

The grey-haired lady at the end of the table spoke, and the girl's attention was dragged back to the present. She looked down at the woman, and understood immediately why she commanded such power. There was a confidence about her, a sureness that suggested that this was a lady who always got her own way. She smiled a lot, and there was a twinkle in her blue eyes that made the small girl smile back, even when the lady had not been smiling at her.

She thought back to what her master had told her about these people. She had not paid as much attention to what he said as she should have, for she had been watching an interesting insect crawl up the wall behind him. He had mentioned something about a princess, and the councillors from the opposite side of the planet, and that they were fighting, but she could not remember why, or how. Sitting at the table where the negotiations were taking place, she sighed in boredom and frustration.

It did not help that most of the people at the table had not wanted her present. Some had even complained to her Master, but Mi-Rai had just waved his hand in front of their faces and they had gone away. How else was she to learn, if she was not allowed to watch? 

Outside the window, trees were flowering, and the weather was very sunny. A perfect day for playing outside, and she was trapped with these grown-ups.

The grumpy man on the end of the table suddenly banged his fist on it, startling everyone and causing them to turn around and listen to his screaming. She sensed that this would be her one chance for escape, and, whilst everyone was distracted, she reached out unconsciously with her undeveloped Jedi powers, and made sure that her Master did not turn around whilst she calmly walked, unnoticed, from the council chambers.

As she walked through the palace, she was amazed that no one stopped her. She did not think that it was usual for a small child to be wandering around on her own, and most of the adults she knew agreed with her. Certainly, it was not allowed at the Temple back home on Coruscant. She followed no set path in her wanderings, for she had never visited Domus Prime before, let alone the Castle. 

She passed several guards, but they did not see her.

Some instinct guided her through the passageways where holograms decorated the walls to a room with large doors. Two guards stood outside, and she looked up at them curiously. 

"What's behind these doors?" she asked with wide eyes, wondering why she felt drawn to this particular section of the castle. For a moment she thought that neither of the two uniformed men would answer, but the dark haired one looked down at her and smiled. 

"These are the Royal Chambers. This is where the Princess lives." He had a nice smile, and she was happy. "You cannot go in there."

She mulled this over for a little while, then nodded. She knew that on many worlds there was a monarchy of some sort, and that they were generally respected and well treated by their people. That didn't explain why her Master was sent to Domus Prime though.

She turned away and started walking back down the corridor, intent on returning to the negotiations and her Master. But halfway there she made a wrong turn, and soon found herself outside in the gardens.

In surprise, she turned around, looking back to see the large passageway that she had just come from. Two guards stood on either side of the entrance, inside the palace looked so dark and gloomy that she realised that five minutes outside would not hurt. She would already be in trouble for disappearing, returning late would not change her punishment.

She looked around in wonderment. The garden was filled with flowers and plants, and many insects flitted around in the golden sunlight. As she started skipping forward into the natural paths and passages, she stayed away from the castle walls, realising instinctively that perhaps these were the gardens that she had seen from the council chambers.

Some sort of flying creature flew up to her face, and she giggled in response, enjoying not only the beauty of the scene, but the peace and tranquillity that the Force presented to her juvenile Jedi senses.

She sighed happily and was content, and when she tripped over a few moments later, causing there to be grass stains on the knees of her robes, she did not cry. Jedi never cried, but she was still young, and so they didn't mind if she cried a little when she was hurt. She stood up, mustering her dignity and brushing down her clothes, pushing back her hair that was falling out of it's braid. For a moment, she thought that she could hear someone laughing at her, but when she looked around, she could see no one, so she moved on.

But the thought that someone was watching her was still unnerving, and she could not shake the feeling that she was not the only person in the garden. Suddenly she burst forth from the pathway to find herself on top of a small hill, looking over the city below. The view was spectacular, only marred by the wall that blocked off the gardens from the city. She sighed happily, amazed at the beauty of the sight before her. 

It took an effort to turn her eyes from the vista and move back towards the palace. Just as she was about to enter the dark pathway again, a green face swung down from one of the trees to hang in front of her. The girl screamed as she jumped back, startled, and the one to whom the face belonged giggled.

"Hello" she said, jumping down from the tree to land agilely before the slightly terrified young Jedi. The young girl took a deep breath, and smiled back. 

"Hello", she replied politely. Now that she was more in control, she looked over her new friend. The girl was the same age as her, about eight, with skin that was slightly green. Her eyes were an unusual yellow colour, and her hair was black, and tied back into a neat plait. She wore a simple white dress, that was spotless despite the girl's adventures in the tree. 

When she realised that she was staring at the girl, she looked away quickly, and lowered her eyes respectfully.

"Who are you?" the other girl demanded, placing her hands on her hips. "And what are you doing here?"

"My name is Hikari-No Miko, and I'm only out here because I got lost on the way back to the Council Room."

The green girl seemed taken aback. "Oh. You must be one of the Jedi she sent for then. I thought they would bring someone older though." 

"I'm eight years old" Hikari-No stated defensively, "And they didn't just send me. My Master came too." That should have ended the matter, but this girl seemed determined to continue talking.

"Well, that's okay then. I'm Catherine", she stated, and Hikari-No suddenly realised that she had not enquired about the girl's name. 

Blushing at her rudeness, she muttered the first thought that entered her head. "That's a strange name."

"Not as strange as Hikari-No Miko." the girl angrily retorted.

"It is not strange. It is a good Jedi name."

They each suddenly looked up at each other, realising how foolish their argument sounded. Their eyes met, and they both started laughing. Hikari-No knew then that Catherine was her friend, now and forever.

For most of the afternoon, the two sat and talked about everything and nothing at all. As the sun was beginning to set, Hikari-No realised that she still had not found out why this girl was in the garden and who she was. She asked her new friend, but the answer Catherine gave was evasive, and Hikari-No knew better than to pressure her. Catherine would speak when the time was right.

There was a silence between them, as the two young girls sat and watched the sun go down over the city. As the lights started to come on, Hikari-No saw the planet's red moon start to rise behind them, and wondered where her Master was. He should have come looking for her by now.

"Do you see that?" Catherine spoke, waving a hand out towards the cityscape and causing Hikari-No to start. She looked where Catherine gestured and saw the city as it had been all afternoon, peaceful despite the chaos that seemed to engulf the people who held control over it. Even though she was too far away, she saw families rushing to get home in time for dinner, and speeders that took people out for a night's entertainment at the many restaurants and diners that filled the shopping areas and sophisticated places of the city. So engrossed in her new-found perspective, Hikari-No almost missed Catherine's next words.

"One day, I'm going to be Queen of it all." The words were barely a whisper, and yet Hikari-No heard them, and wondered anew who her friend really was. There was a moment of silence as Hikari-No watched the sunset deep in thought.

"Look!" Catherine cried in surprise and wonder, standing up and pointing at where the sun had turned a bright pinkish-orange and was sinking behind the horizon. Hikari-No also stood, following her gaze, trying to see whatever it was that had so excited her green-faced friend. She could see nothing important, and said so.

"Look at the sun. Do you see the shimmering there?" Once again Hikari-No looked out, trying not to stare directly into the star, but still trying to see. Suddenly she realised that the change of colour was not caused by the planet's orbital spin and atmosphere, rather there were several thousand somethings flying in front of the sun, causing a disturbance in the colour and pattern of the light. 

She gasped, amazed at what she could see. "What is it?" she murmured.

"They are tiny insects, we call them 'faeries'. They only fly when the weather is right and the moons are in the correct positioning. They say that if you see them in flight like that and make a wish, it will come true."

The two girls sat back down, entranced at what they had seen, and simply enjoyed the silence of the moment.

Hikari-No sighed contentedly, and waited until she heard her Master's voice in her mind. "Don't worry Little One", he said, "we come." She heard voices in the back of the gardens near the entrance to the palace.

Both girls stood up, fear showing clearly on Catherine's face. "They are searching for me", each said at once, then they looked into the each other's eyes in surprise. 

Catherine took an involuntary step backwards. "They must not find me here", she whispered to herself, and then she ran into the gardens, not looking back to see Hikari-No gaping at her in surprise and wonder.

From the path came Mi-Rai, and he tried to follow his apprentice's eyes into the trees. He saw no one however, and he walked up to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to sound stern when he spoke.

"You ran off again", he chastised Hikari-No, but she did not hear him.

Looking into the gardens, trying to catch a glimpse of her friend, she followed his lead back towards the palace. For a moment, she thought she could hear Catherine's laughter mocking her from the trees, but she keep walking towards the chambers where they would spend the night, knowing that the sound was just her imagination. 

She endured the scolding that followed as she had suffered many times before. She sat and listened politely as Mi-Rai explained to her the reasons why it was not safe to go exploring, especially on a world that could be as hostile as Domus Prime. 

She listened dutifully, as a good apprentice should, nodding in the correct places, and agreeing with him when it was required. 

He knew after a minute of talking to her that he had lost her attention, but Mi-Rai kept talking out of habit and a sense of duty. Hikari-No would not have gone wandering off without a reason, and he was certain that something of great importance had occurred whilst she was out. But even after she had told him everything that had happened, he could not place a single event as being significant. Perhaps it was her meeting with the girl Catherine that had caused the tremor that he had felt in the force earlier. There was something strange about the circumstance, but he could not name what it was that made him so uneasy.

He sighed as he realised that whatever had happened would have been the will of the Force, and who was he to interfere, even if his apprentice was a wilful child who still did not behave as a Jedi should. She was young though, and so could still be excused for not always behaving properly, but still, the Force ran strongly through her, and it was his duty to see that she learnt how to use that power properly. 

He looked down into her blue eyes and smiled. He could never stay mad at Hikari-No for long, and deep down he knew that he loved her like a daughter.

She noticed that he had stopped talking and looked up at him, testing to see if he was done. He knew that he should lecture her some more, but it was late, and it would be better if she knew that she was forgiven now.

With a smile, she disappeared into her chamber and got changed quickly, before jumping into bed. He came in and smiled at her.

"Goodnight Master", she said, her eyes closing over, exhaustion sweeping over her as the events of the day caught up with her. 

He turned off the light and closed the door over. "Goodnight Little One", he said, as he turned to return to his meeting with the Princess. 

By the next night, an arrangement had been made that suited the purposes of both the Princess and the Councillors, and so there was to be a celebration held in the Great Hall of the palace. Although Hikari-No still did not understand what the conflict was about, nor what events had lead to this situation, she had sat patiently still throughout the day's events, listening to her master as he spoke and made suggestions, then watching as they drew up a treaty which would allow the two parties to rule Domus Prime jointly. 

Both Hikari-No and Mi-Rai were invited to the celebrations, and she had to wear her best robes to the social event. One of the Princess' servant came and spent an hour tying up her long hair, and was disappointed when Hikari-No refused to let her tie up her Padawan braid into the elaborate arrangement. They also wanted to paint her face slightly, to make her look more like a 'real lady', but she silently appealed to her master, and he arrived quickly to save her from the girl's ministrations.

Mi-Rai was also dressed up, his hair tied away from his face, and he was wearing his formal cloak over his robes. His lightsaber was still hanging from his belt however, and she wondered what it was he feared. 

He looked older to her eyes, and he smiled wearily down at her. "Look who's the little Princess", he mocked lightly as he looked her over. She giggled, knowing that he was teasing her, and he sighed. "Tomorrow we will return to Coruscant. You must be on your best behaviour tonight, or else I will tell the Council of your behaviour."

She stepped back in amused shock. "Oh no, Master, not the Council. Anything but that."

"I'll tell Master Yoda all about you running away, and being a dreadful child, and he will make the Sith Lords come and get you."

"No, Master, please", she begged with him, but could not hold the pretence of being afraid, and collapsed on the floor laughing. He was laughing too, a deep rumble that always made her smile. She was lucky, that she had the best Master in the whole Academy, she thought, as he reached down to give her a hand back up, once she had contained her giggles.

"Come along then Little One, we must go attend the party." He pulled her to her feet, and with a big smile, she folded her arms in her sleaves and smiled up at him. 

The Great Hall was filled with people, and Hikari-No wandered if she had ever seen that many people in such a small amount of space before. It certainly seemed crowded, and the room was so charged with emotion that she had to place a shield over her mind to block it out. She was lead through the room with her master, who was deftly weaving his way through the people as they milled about, each one certain that what they were saying was more important than anything else and should therefore be louder.

Finally, they were at the Head Table, and she looked around in surprise. The Princess was already seated, as though she could not stand as everyone else did. Her grey hair was pilled upon her head in a manner that would appear comical on a younger woman, but somehow added to Hikari-No's impression of her having great dignity. She was flanked by two of her servants, they were called 'handmaidens', Hikari-No thought, dressed in sky blue, with silver cloaks over their robes. Something about thing reminded Hikari-No of the Jedi, perhaps the way they sat there, never speaking, always watching and waiting.

Her Master bowed to the Princess then, and hastily she followed, although she stumbled slightly. The Princess laughed softly as Hikari-No blushed in embarrassment, and tried to hide behind her Master.

"Don't be afraid child, I won't hurt you. Mi-Rai, why is this girl so timid? I would have thought you'd trained her better than that." Even as she spoke, Hikari-No's eyes widened, as she realised that this Princess, of the backwater planet, was mocking her master, the greatest Jedi there ever was. She stepped forward boldly. 

"He has trained me fine, Your Highness. It is my own fault that I am clumsy, and although I have worked very hard to remove that failing, even for one fully trained as a Jedi it would many years to accomplish such a feat." She spoke with quiet dignity, but when she was done, she realised what had happened, that she had just possibly insulted the ruler of Domus Prime, her host here and someone who deserved her respect. Hikari-No decided that perhaps it would be best if she ran away now.

She was more amazed when the Princess laughed then, and looking up at Hikari-No's tall master, told him, "Oh, I approve. This is a fine child, Mi-Rai, everything you said she was." Hikari-No looked around in confusion, not understanding what had happened here. "It is a pity that she will not be able to sit at our table tonight." she looked back over at Hikari-No, who was still slightly bewildered, but smiled when she saw the twinkle in the Princess' eyes that meant she was not mad. "You will have to sit at the children's table, for even if you are a Jedi, by our custom you are still too young to sit here. One of my handmaidens will take you over to them. I am certain you will find someone to entertain you for the night." With a wave of the Princess' hand, Hikari-No was dismissed, and one of the girls came up to her to lead her away from her Master, who was taking his seat next to the Princess.

The children were seated at a table at the back of the Hall, and most of them appeared to be older than Hikari-No. There was much jostling and laughter occurring between the boys, who were seated at one end, whilst the girls sat at the other, looking decidedly superior to all those boys. Hikari-No sat in the middle of the table, between the two groups, and wondered who to speak to first. As the boys were currently busy, she turned to the girls, and smiled warmly at the girl who was seated at the head of the table. 

For a moment she expected to see Catherine seated amongst the other girls, but her friend was not present, and she wondered at this. All of the children also seemed to be older than her, but she knew that she would still be able to find a place in their group.

The girl at the end of the table moved to speak to her then, and silence descended upon the table as she made a small gesture that the others recognised. She was a tall girl, and thin, with narrow eyes of a green hue that was not natural even in adapted humans. She wore a dress that was highly accessorised, and Hikari-No had realised early that this girl was the Queen Bee of this little group. 

"What happened to your clothes?" she asked Hikari-No, making a vague gesture towards them, "It's almost as if you don't know if you're a boy or a girl." 

Hikari-No wondered about this for a moment. "I am a Jedi Apprentice", she answered with pride, "These are my robes of office. All Jedi dress this way, but being so sophisticated, you would know that, wouldn't you?" 

Although Hikari-No knew that it was not the Jedi way to treat people in such a manner, it was acknowledged that ignorance should not be encouraged, and if she did not recognise a Jedi than this girl was clearly ignorant. The girl flushed for a moment, as she tried to think of a cleaver retort, but she could not, and one of the others smiled at Hikari-No. She held out her hand in a gesture of greeting, and Hikari-No covered it with her own. 

"I'm Tamira", she said, introducing herself, "and the one with the intelligence problem is Danya." Hikari-No looked her over, and saw at once that Tamira could be her friend. She even looked a bit like Hikari-No, although she was older, and wore her hair differently. When she looked closely, Hikari-no realised that she also had violet eyes that were really quite beautiful.

"My name is Hikari-No Miko" she said, and was about to continue when Danya interrupted them.

"Countess, how dare you speak to this girl without my permission." she screeched, but the noise was lost on the adult, who were all too engrossed in their own conversations to notice the commotion that was brewing on the children's table.

Hikari-No turned back to Tamira and mouthed, 'Countess?' Tamira caught her glance, but turned back to Danya and spoke to her. "Danya, for all you want to play, you will never be a good queen, nor will you even be elected princess, despite what your father thinks. Perhaps you should find a new game to play now, this one grows boring." She turned back to Hikari-No with a sigh. "One of my older relatives died recently, and instead of leaving me credits or something useful, I got stuck with the title of Countess of something-or-other. My Uncle is acting as some sort of regent for me until I'm old enough to manage it myself, but from what I've seen, really all it means is that I get an invitation to all the Princess' parties, and my own set of rooms here in the Palace. There is no responsibility or duties, so it's really just a name. Unfortunately, it seems to fit in with Danya's latest play, so they all started calling me Countess, even though I'm really the only one with a real title. But I suppose I'd better introduce them to you", she leaned over in a whisper, "I cannot remember all their names yet, but I'll give you their 'titles' to make it seem as if you want to play along." Hikari-No nodded at this.

"The girl next to you is the 'Duchess of Fushia'", this was a plain girl, who had tried unsuccessfully to mask her lack of beauty with large amounts of make up, "and the one next to her is the 'Lady of the Faeries'." Yes, she looked a bit like an insect with those large eyes, although the costume wings she was wearing were a nice touch. "Salyfe here is the 'Guardian of the Destiny that binds us all'" Salyfe rolled her eyes, and Hikari-No realised that not all the girls played this game willingly, or wrote their own titles. Perhaps she would be able to make friends with them. "And this is the 'Warrior Priestess' Nilanka." Nilanka also did not seem impressed by her role on this game, but she certainly looked the part, an alien girl with some humanoid features, but with dark hair and eyes that seemed to penetrate deep into Hikari-No's soul. She stood and left the table for a few moments, and Hikari-No was certain that she saw a dagger hanging from the young girls belt. Danya coughed, not too politely, and Tamira sighed, not looking over at her.

"And this is Danya, Queen of all that is Star Wars." Danya smiled in a failed attempt to look regal, and Hikari-No considered turning her back on them all and communicating with the boys. 

"'Queen of all that is Star Wars'? What does that mean?" she asked Tamira, who shrugged, and answered with a wry grin.

"Only she knows, and she's not 'prepared' to tell us. In other words", she leaned in close and whispered again, "she hasn't quite figured it out yet, herself."

Hikari-No could not help it, and giggled despite herself. Danya had heard all but the last part of this exchange, and anger flashed in her eyes. "I forbid any of you to talk to this girl for the rest of the evening. I am your Queen, and you will obey me", she commanded, and several groans rose up from around the table. Nilanka returned then, and sat down, understanding in a glance what had happened. 

"I'm sorry", Tamira mouthed over the table to her, but Hikari-No understood. Tamira had to live with these people, while she was just a guest. She understood how these social groups worked, and for a brief moment considered using the mind trick to convince Danya that she really would be a pleasant dinner partner. But she knew that it would not be an acceptable way of using the Force, and her master would notice it and punish her. Though it might not be fair, Hikari-No sat silently at the table, and waited for the first course of the meal to arrive. 

Halfway through the meal, she became aware of a sadness much greater than her own emanating from someone close by, although not at the children's table with her. She looked around curiously, ignoring the glare that Danya shot her. Finally she pinpointed it to be someone in the back corner of the Hall, and she stood and walked over there. 

The Hall was mostly quiet, as many of the people were eating. Several different courses had been served, with different meals served to the aliens and those who had different needs to the humans who formed the majority of the people who filled the Hall. Hikari-No felt her master's eyes upon her, but she sent him a quick though telling him that everything was alright and he went back to his conversation with one of the Councillors. 

In the shadowed corner of the brightly lit room, a boy was crying. Silently, he was seated on a box of some sort, and the tears fell freely down his face. He was dressed in brightly coloured clothes, and was wearing a hat with several bells hanging from it's points. She knelt down before him.

"Why are you crying?" she asked with sympathy in her voice. He looked up, embarrassed that someone had seen him, and would have stood and run from the Great Hall had she not been barring his way. With a fluorescent blue sleave, he dashed the tears from his face. 

"Am not crying", he said defiantly, with a sparkle in his eyes. She looked up at his face then, and decided that she liked what she saw.

"I'm Hikari-No", she declared, extending her hand. For a moment he looked at her as if she was crazy, then took the hand with a grateful sigh.

"I'm Jester", for a moment she was tempted to respond as she had to Catherine, but remembering the response she had gotten then, decided against it.

"That's a nice name", she said, sitting down comfortably beside him. "So, Jester, why are you so upset, hiding here in the shadows?" 

He wasn't going to answer, but he looked down into her blue eyes, and found himself speaking despite himself. "They won't let me perform," he muttered angrily, tossing his head and setting the bells ringing. 

"Perform?" she asked, puzzled.

"You know", he gestured over to the Head Table, where a tall man dressed similarly to himself was juggling some brightly coloured balls and dancing for the entertainment of the Princess and her guest. He was very good, she noticed

"Oh", Hikari-No murmured, struggling to understand, "Is he your master then?"

"He's my father", there was a sadness in this statement that she could not understand. "He said that I would be able to perform for the Princess if the treaty went ahead. This was supposed to be my big debut." he trailed off into silence.

"And now they will not let you." she finished for him. He nodded mutely. She thought about it for a few moments. "So perform for me."

He looked up at her in shock, then shook his head. "Come on, how will you ever know if you are ready to perform for the Princess if you will not even perform for your friends?" he looked startled at her use of the word 'friends', and she wondered just how lonely the Jester was. "You know that I will be a good judge for you. I will watch, and tell you what to improve." 

For the first time, she noticed that he was holding something closely, but could not see what it was. He shook his head again. "If they see me, I will get in trouble", he said to her, hugging the mysterious item closer.

"You can tell them that I made you do it."

"Why would they believe me?"

"Because", she said with a toss of the head, "I am a Jedi. I will tell them that I mind tricked you into performing for me."

"Could you really do that?" he asked, hope springing up in his voice.

"Of course. Watch." She raised her small hand and moved it slightly in front of his face, imposing her will upon his. "You will get up and dance for me, like a chicken" she said to him.

"No I won't", he said, and she looked over at him in surprise. The Force must be strong in him for him to resist her mind trick, for it was one of the few Jedi skills that she was good at. 

"Well, just tell them that I mind tricked you", she said with a frown, still trying to puzzle out how he was able to avoid dancing like a chicken for her.

"Alright" he sighed, and stood up. He took a few steps away, and she settled down to watch whatever we would do for her. Then he remembered what he was holding, and stepped forward. "Here, you hold Harold", he said, holding out a small rubber chicken to her. She took it reverently, knowing without knowing how she knew, that this poor toy was probably one of Jester's best friends. He smiled a thank you to the small girl, and she smiled encouragingly back.

From somewhere in the folds of his costume, he suddenly withdrew a number of brightly coloured balls, and they were soon spinning in the air before her in ever increasing complex patterns. She gasped in delight, as he somehow managed to turn a somersault without dropping any of them, and quickly asked her master if he would be able to drop a cloak of the Force over them so that no one would be able to notice Jester as he performed for his audience of one.

She could no longer count with ease the number that were in the air, and was amazed at the youth's skill. It was almost entrancing, watching the patterns form in the air, the rise and fall of the balls that were thrown with such care. Not one was misplaced, and at all times Jester seemed to know where each of them were. Perhaps it was some unconscious way of applying the Force, she thought, but dismissed the thought, concentrating instead on simply watching her friend and enjoying the scene before her. 

Then, just as suddenly as he had started, the balls disappeared back to their hiding places, and Jester bowed before her apprehensively. She clapped loudly, not caring if anyone noticed her, although they should not if her master had done as he had agreed. She leapt to her feet and hugged him, telling him that it was wonderful, that he was the best juggler she had ever seen, that even Harold was impressed by his talent. He blushed slightly and pulled away, accepting back Harold.

"Thank you", he murmured slightly, looking back at her blue eyes. She smiled up at him.

"Someday I am certain the Princess will get to see you perform, and she will be just as impressed as I am", Hikari-No said to him. "What else can you do?" 

He sighed. "Not much, although I can also juggle daggers. One day, I will learn to juggle lightsabers, and that will make me the best Jester ever." His eyes shone as he told her his dream.

"You already are", she told him.

She had to return to her table then, but her meeting with Jester had buoyed her spirits, and she found herself smiling throughout the rest of the celebrations, despite the cold silence of the other girls.

The next day, the sun dawned sunny and bright, and it seemed as if all of Domus Prime had come to see them off. As the two Jedi boarded their transport, Hikari-No glanced back to see the Princess and several of her handmaidens waving. Behind them and to one side was the Countess Tamira, and the rest of the girls were close behind her, Danya pretending to be bored with the proceedings. Looking up at the Palace window, Hikari-No was certain that she could see Jester's face at one of them, and she had a feeling that somewhere in the gardens surrounding the courtyard where the ship had landed Catherine was watching her, and laughing. 

She smiled back, and waved in a manner that was not really befitting a Jedi, but it suited her mood. Mi-Rai Shinwa reached an arm around her waist and pulled her on board the ship. She quickly ran up to the bridge as the ship took off, for it had the best views. 

As Hikari-No viewed the quickly receding planet and it's three moons in the viewscreen, Mi-Rai looked down at her. "I have a feeling we'll be back here one day", he said to her in a tone that suggested that he was trying to cheer her up.

She thought of all her new friends that she had made over the course of her three days on Domus Prime, and found herself smiling happily. With all the seriousness of a full Jedi Master, Padawan Hikari-No Miko looked up at her Master and said, "I know we will."


	2. Chapter 2

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter Two

Hikari-No placed the book down with a rueful sigh. 

"Yes Master?" she turned around to him, instantly regretting the fact that she had forgotten to place a marker in the book before closing it. She had been reading a fascinating commentary on the nature of the living Force and the potential for good in the Dark Side that was probably too advanced for her ten year old mind, but she found it interesting. Mi-Rai chuckled at her consternation.

"Smile, Little One. I have good news for you", he said, and she sighed, wondering what he had planned for her this time. 

"In what way, Master?" she was polite to him as always, but there was a slight edge to her voice that only he would have noticed. He smiled at her.

"Do you remember a trip we made two years ago, to a remote planet on the Outer Rim?" he asked, wondering what she could remember from the trip. 

"You mean Domus Prime?" She had not remembered the trip, but his thoughts had been so clear that it had taken little effort to lift the information she needed. However, she respected her Master too much to truly spoil his game. She thought back to what she could remember of the trip, and found the memories not altogether unpleasant. 

He nodded to her, and went on. "It would seem that the peace that was created on that trip has been lasting, and the Princess has invited us back to Domus Prime for two weeks as guests at her celebrations. As neither of us have any important duties to attend to at the moment, the Council has given us permission to go", at this Hikari-No jumped up, smiling broadly and throwing her arms around Mi-Rai. "But", she drew back cautiously, "they have not excused you from the work that you will be missing whilst you are away. You will have to take your books with you, and Master Genki is expecting a detailed report on the importance of the Force in the lives of the people on Domus Prime when we get back." 

She sighed at this, knowing well that when Master Genki requested a 'report', he expected a work so complicated that the Temple Librarian had once jokingly referred to one of Hikari-No's projects as her 'thesis'. Even though she knew that Master Genki would not ask her to do the work if he did not think she was capable, Hikari-No still found herself wishing that just once he would treat her like the other students in the class. 

It had gotten so that the other students would not treat her the same anymore. In fact, many of them had taken to ignoring Hikari-No, despite the many attempts she had made at becoming friends with them. It had been easier when she was younger, no one really cared then if you did things differently. But they were ten now, an awkward age when differences were mocked rather than respected, and on many occasions it was only Hikari-No's own private certainty that she was destined to become a great Jedi that stopped her from believing the taunts that were thrown at her. 

Mi-Rai had said that they were only teasing her because they were jealous of her own abilities, but she was glad that she would have some time away from them all. Perhaps when she returned she would find that they had matured enough to leave her to study in peace. 

"When are we leaving, Master?" she asked, hoping despite herself that it would be soon. 

"Tomorrow morning, Little One, so don't fret yourself about having to spend one more day in class with the other padawans. I know you're worried about them, but you just have to wait for them to grow up a bit and catch up with you." 

"It's not that Master", she spoke softly, wishing she could find the words to tell him what she felt. She sighed and looked up, noticed the time and stepped back, grabbing a datapad from the table. 

"We'll talk after your class", he said as she ran from the room in her hurry to avoid being late again. 

Tears flowing freely down her face, Hikari-No ran blindly through the Temple corridors, not caring who saw her in this state. Maybe Jedi did not cry, but she was just a small girl who had been rejected by every other person in her age group, and she could no longer hide the pain, even from herself. She sobbed loudly as she crashed into a young man who had not thought to dodge her. 

Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her, and though she struggled to be free, to continue running until she could no longer feel the pain, she could not break free. So she stood there, crying softly in his arms. She was aware of him waving his companions away without looking up, and she was grateful for the understanding presence of this man, who did not speak, but simply stood there, brushing down her hair as she sobbed herself out. 

She did not know how long it was before she gulped down a final sob and looked up at the one who had been so kind to her, more than slightly ashamed at her outburst. He was taller than her, with darkish hair, and eyes that frightened her for a moment before she realised that he meant her no harm. 

With a gasp, she realised that he wore the robes of a Dark Jedi, and she stepped back, bowing respectfully. 

"I am terribly sorry, sir, I did not mean to disturb you." She backed away further, and he looked puzzled at her sudden change in attitude. 

"Are you alright?" he spoke with a slight accent, trying to understand why this girl suddenly seemed so frightened. He looked himself over once, then, realising what had happened, mentally smacked himself on the forehead, cursing his oversight. 

"So", he said, trying to find a way of righting matters with this small girl, who only appeared to be about ten years in age, "Could I treat you to a chocolate drink?" 

Her eyes lit up for a moment, and she met his eyes for the first time, searching them for reassurance of what she thought of this young man. His shifted uneasily, wondering why her gaze seemed to penetrate deep into his soul, taking note of every aspect of him, including his past, that he would rather forget. She nodded then, and he had no doubts that she was not only approving his offer, but his entire being. For one so young, she was certainly used to using her powers, although he had thought that his mind was shielded at that moment. Something to work on then. 

"I'm Hikari-No", she said, holding her hand forward in a ritual gesture of greeting, a smile on her face belying the sorrow that had been there such a short time ago. He shook his head at this sudden mood swing, then took her small hand in his own, to lead her to a place where they could enjoy the promised drinks in quiet company. 

"You may call me 'Riddler'." 

Sometime later, after Hikari-No had managed to drink two of the hot beverages, he thought that perhaps she was composed enough to explain why she had been so upset in the passageway before. Before he could speak, she met his eyes, and nodded, almost as if she was giving him permission to speak his mind. 

"So, what happened back there?" He spoke softly, hoping that his words would not upset her further, although few tears had fallen since her earlier outburst. She sighed, and placed one of her hands on the glass before her, the other one was busy pushing the spoon around it with a musical tinkling. 

"I just could not take it any more." 

He frowned, surely a girl of her age was too young to be having a mid-life crisis. Something must have happened in one of her classes then, perhaps with the other students. 

"Take what?" he prompted softly, wishing that he was more accustomed to dealing with innocents like her. It was easier to fight than to feel sympathy and to help. 

"Listening to them." With a discordant flick of the spoon, she pushed the glass away from her distastefully, and started flicking the end of her long braid absently, her eyes focussed somewhere beyond him. 

"What did they say?" 

Hikari-No shook her head slightly, her eyes snapped back in focus, and for a moment he thought he could see anger flashing in her eyes. 

"That is just it. They did not say anything. But I could still hear them. I always hear them, everything they want to say, but are afraid to speak in front of Master Genki. And they know that I can hear them, which just makes it worse." 

Tears began to fill her eyes again, and he felt unusually sad for this young girl, who seemed to have come into her powers so early, but did not yet have control over them. 

Although he knew the answer, he still asked, "Have you told your Master?" 

"I tried to, but he did not understand." 

That was understandable, especially if she had been as vague with her Master as she had been this afternoon with him. 

"Did you tell him that you hear them in your mind rather than with your ears?" She looked up, startled, and he continued. "Don't look so worried. You're training to become a Jedi, and learning how to hear what people are not saying is an important skill for all Jedi. But, you also need to learn how to create a shield, so that people cannot read your mind, nor you theirs. That way, you might find things a lot quieter." 

Hikari-No mulled this over for several minutes, and his eyes never left her face, although she was staring silently at the table before her. When she spoke, it was in a quiet voice, tinged slightly with apprehension and fear. 

"Could you show me?" 

He nodded, and tried to think of the best way to explain the process to her. He did not think the way he had been taught would be appropriate, and he shuddered inwardly at the memory. Hikari-No caught an echo of his pain and reached out a small hand, not quite understanding. 

"You do not have teach me, if you do not want to." 

A flash of determination swept over him, and he decided that he could teach Hikari-No how to perform this simple trick, to stop her from feeling pain, and to start on making amends for all the wrong he had done to children like her. 

"Close your eyes", he said, and reached over the table, placing his hand lightly on her arm. For some reason, most people found it easier to communicate mind to mind if physical contact was made. He visualised how to make a shield to protect her thoughts, and projected the images directly into her mind. 

Hikari-No gasped at the sudden clarity of what she was receiving, and understood instantly how to implement what he was showing her. Without a second thought, she did so. 

Riddler sat back, instantly aware of the blackness where a moment before Hikari-No's mind had been. 'That was quick', he thought to himself, 'Either I'm a better teacher than I thought, or Hikari-No is amazingly gifted. I sincerely hope it is the former though, people like her usually end up having important destinies to fulfil.' 

She smiled up at him, and for a moment, he felt her shield waver. "Concentrate", he said, but it was too late, she lost control and the shield disappeared, her face filling with chagrin. "With time and practice, you will be able to hold it without even thinking of it." 

"Thank you." She stood and dashed around the table, tears flowing freely down her face, and threw her arms around him, embracing him in her happiness. For a moment he was confused and unsure as to what to do, but he gently placed his arms around Hikari-No, caught up in her enthusiasm. He glanced over at the timepiece on the wall and sighed. 

When she broke away a few moments later, he looked down at her, sorry for having to say goodbye. 

"It's getting late", he said, and she turned around seeing the clock behind her and gasping in shock. 

"I should have been back from class an hour ago. My Master is going to kill me." 

She squeezed his hand once more, before dashing towards the door, barely waiting for it to open before dashing out. He had raised a hand to say goodbye, but she did not look back in her hurry. 

The Riddler sank back down on his chair, suddenly exhausted. 

Hikari-No stopped in the hallway, a puzzled expression crossing her face. She had forgotten something, something important. There was something she had been supposed to say, but she could not place it. Something about a knife, no, someone who had worried him, something that had frightened Riddler. In a daze, she walked back towards the Riddler's rooms, and triumphantly recalled what she had been meant to say as she passed it by. She turned around, and peeked her head inside. 

A flash of brown hair passed by his door, and Hikari-No peeked back into the room. 

"And do not worry", she called, a big smile on her face. "If Blade ever comes back, I will protect you from him." 

And with that she was gone, leaving him puzzled once more. 

She dashed into the main room of their apartment, and the door closed silently behind her. Hikari-No sighed, and wondered what her punishment would be this time. 

At the end of the room stood Mi-Rai, his dark eyes shimmering slightly, and she wondered if something had happened. She gasped as the big Jedi swept her up into his arms, embracing her fiercely. "Don't ever do that again", he whispered to her, and Hikari-No held him back, unused to the display of emotion from her normally calm Master, but cherishing it nonetheless. 

"I couldn't find you", he said, putting her back down on the ground, but keeping her small hand in his. "When Master Genki told me what happened, and then I couldn't find you, I was so worried." 

"I am sorry Master", she said, her eyes focussed on the floor, "I should not have run away from class like that. Master Genki must have been so very upset." 

"Why did you leave like that?" he knelt down before her, and for a moment, Hikari-No could see a shadow of the future, many people performing the same gesture over the course of time. She shrugged it off, and closed her eyes, trying to formulate an answer. 

"It does not matter anymore. It is the past, and I had already completed the lesson. And now that we are going away, everything will turn out for the best." 

He placed his hand under her chin, and lifted it, raising her gaze to meet his own. His eyes widened, and he understood suddenly what had been so distressing her. 

"It seems that your afternoon was well spent however." She smiled beautifully at him, and he realised just how much the influence of his young Padawan had changed his life over the past years. She let go of his hand, and moved to go into her own room, to prepare for the trip ahead and to organise her possessions. 

As she walked away from him, she did not look back, but his words echoed in the empty room. "I just wish you wouldn't hide your thoughts from me." 

Sitting on the floor of her room, Hikari-No reverently took the box from it's place under her bed and opened it gently, looking down at it's contents with a pleasure akin to bliss. No one, not even her Master, knew about this, her special project. She made a point of never consciously thinking about it, a skill developed after many years of practice. That way, no one else could find it. 

Although the pieces seemed jumbled, she could clearly see the pattern they would form, and the end result was pleasing to the eye. However, although there were some parts that could currently be joined, the entire project had been put on hold, until she could find the crystals necessary to complete her work. 

Her fingers lightly traced a pattern on the metal casing she would use to finish off her work, and once again she tried to imagine what she would engrave on the finished project. But the paths were cloudy, and try though she could to remember a suitable proverb or motto, her memories and visions told her nothing but that she would one day use this weapon. 

With a sigh, Hikari-No closed the box, and placed the incomplete lightsaber on the bottom of her bag, not quite understanding why she did so, and continued to pack clothing around it, glad that she could now hide her thoughts, even from her master. She could not anticipate his reaction to the thought that she was building a Jedi's weapon, and she was more than slightly wary of the day when he would realise just what his Padawan had been spending her spare time on. 

The next day, the sun over Coruscant dawned behind darkened clouds, the dim weather convincing Hikari-No, despite her refusal to believe in omens, that time away from the Temple was necessary, and perhaps for the best. 

Once the ship left the atmosphere of Coruscant, and made the disorientating jump to hyperspace, she withdrew from her satchel the datapad that Mi-Rai had given her on the history of Domus Prime and settled down to study it. 

"For close to a thousand years, the remote planet of Domus Prime had been ruled by a monarchy of great Kings and Queens. The ruler of the planet is not determined by birthright, as is the case on many other worlds, rather, the leader of the people is elected by a majority of the population. Only those with little political experience or ambition are ever nominated for election to the position. As a result, those who are elected are generally peace-loving, with a strong sense of responsibility towards the people who elected them. 

"A Council of Advisers assist the monarch of Domus Prime, and it is generally they who select the nominees, although there have been many exceptions to this rule. 

"Domus Prime has no unique religion, and is tolerant to those who wish to seek refuge from persecution or indeed and person's belief. Most there seem to follow the same beliefs as the Jedi, and indeed it is a favourite place amongst the Order, for there are many fully trained Knights serving in the Royal Forces under the command of a Master appointed by the Jedi Council. 

"At all times, the ruler of Domus Prime maintains a full guard at combat readiness, but this seems to be more from tradition rather than from any real need, for there has been no war or rebellion on the planet for over three hundred years. 

"However, in recent years the political structure of Domus Prime has changed somewhat, largely due to the Council of Advisers refusal to replace the late King Alutharum as he aged and descended into senility. The Council had become far separated from their idealistic ancestors, and decided, in their greed, to take as much control and wealth from the people who had put them in their positions as possible. Whilst the King was left mostly to the management of his servants and attendants, many of the Council members became increasingly wealthy, gathering private armies from the Royal Forces, and claiming precedence over each other, and Domus Prime itself. One had gone as far as to declare himself King Themlar of Domus Prime, and rebellion was in the air. When the old King finally passed away, the people took action, demanding that there be an election, which was held much to the dismay of the Council. 

"When a young girl by the name of Jenia was voted by the population of Domus Prime to be Queen of the planet, several armies suddenly mobilised to try and overthrow the new monarch. Safe in Fuhenteki Na Shiro, her palace overlooking the capital city, the Queen was kept ignorant for a time of the danger that was threatening the peace of her world. 

"This information could not be kept secret forever, and once discovered, the Queen quickly moved, sending what remind of her guard to eliminate the opposition to her rule. However, her forces were overpowered, and she held the throne only because rebellion would have followed her deposition. Knowing that had she called them, the young Queen would have had the support of the people on her side, she retained much of her power over the Council, but it was that, in truth, the throne of Domus Prime had suddenly divided into two sources of power held in a fragile alliance. 

"Disgusted with the turn of affairs, the Queen declared that until Domus Prime had returned to it's original state of single monarchy, she would not accept the full title of Queen, and has gone by the title of Princess ever since. 

"On several occasions, violence over this state of affairs has spilled over into the streets, but it was always the citizens who suffered at the hands of the Council-owned military. It was out of fear of the people suffering further that the Princess refused to challenge the Council, accepting her fate as she tried to wrest power back from the greedy Councillors. 

"Two years ago, the violence erupted in a terrible manner, and many thousands of people lost their lives fighting for the Princess. She herself was grieved by the turn of events, and did what she could to prevent further bloodshed. But the Councillors were intent on trying to take control of the entire planet, using their military force to conquer the generally peace-loving people to their will. It was only the intervention of Jedi diplomats from Coruscant that stopped the Council from the complete genocide of the people of Domus Prime. It is not known why they tried to displace the elected ruler of the planet against the will of the population, but across the galaxy, those who noticed the events that were transpiring on this small planet on the Outer Rim worried, and were afraid that the peace created that day two years ago would not last." 

Stifling a yawn, Hikari-No placed the datapad and her pages of notes away, storing them in a safe drawer on the ship. She called out a request for the lights to be dimmed, the computer did so, and she climbed up into her bunk and fell asleep. 

The next day, she awoke just as the ship was emerging from hyperspace, feeling a rush of nausea as the universe shifted around her. She was the only person she knew that ever seemed to be affected by the process this way, and not for the first time, she found herself cursing whatever fault of her genetics had caused this defeat. 

Switching on a viewscreen, she checked the ship's approach to Domus Prime, and noted with surprise that it would still be several hours before they arrived on the planet's surface. 

Tapping a quick request into the catering unit, Hikari-No dressed, tying up her hair so that only her Padawan braid remained loose, stretching down her back, the only part of her hair that was ever neat. She sighed heavily, trying to smooth the bumps that marred the plait that she had tied the rest of her hair into, loose ends falling out at odd angles and intervals. 

A soft chime from the wall told her that her breakfast was ready, and Hikari-No ate quickly, surprised at how hungry she was. When she was done, she picked up her datapad to continue with her studies. 

"Diplomatically, Domus Prime has never played an important role in inter-galactic politics. It's people are too peaceful, and it's location too remote for it to be significant. Domus Prime is not a wealthy world, although most of the people there live reasonable lives of moderate income. There is no slavery, in accordance with local and Republic law. The people are generous, and so they have few merchants that have acquired great wealth, these few being from other worlds where honesty is not so highly valued." 

Hikari-No sighed and looked away. The datapad was so boring, she found that it was putting her to sleep once more. She had found out more from the datapad than she expected, but it was still dull, and did not contain any of the real information that she would need to complete her project. She would just have to complete it on the planet's surface, where the information available would be more interesting. 

It was nearly time for the ship to land on Domus Prime, so she went to find her Master and see where he had been this morning. 

Several hours later, Hikari-No found herself wandering through Fuhenteki Na Shiro, memories of the last time she had visited the palace washing over her in gentle waves. The Princess had been unable to properly greet her arrivals, being too busy giving a special audience to some ambassadors from Alderaan. However, she had given Hikari-No permission to use the resources of her Royal Library, which Hikari-No was currently trying to find, whilst Mi-Rai had gone off to reminisce with the few Jedi Masters that were scattered around the planet. 

Eventually, she located the right door, and taking in her datapads and notes, found herself in a room almost as large as the Great Hall, filled with books and recordings. Hikari-No sighed happily as she turned around slowly, taking in the atmosphere of the library. "I could spend eternity in this place and still not read everything", she breathed reverently, "The more I get to know her, the more I like this Princess." 

Closing her eyes and letting the Force guide her to the books she would need, Hikari-No started to seriously work on her project. 

Sometime later, she was startled out of her reverie by a friendly voice that had appeared suddenly behind her. 

"They told me I'd find you here." 

Hikari-No jumped, letting out an involuntary scream. 

"Oops, sorry about that." 

She turned around, her eyes widening as she realised who it was that had disturbed her, and found herself suddenly embraced by her friend. 

"Hello Catherine", she said, trying to disentangle herself from Catherine's arms long enough to stand up properly. 

"It's about time you came back here", Catherine said, stepping back, but not relinquishing her hold on Hikari-No's hand. "Everyone missed you." 

Hikari-No took a moment to properly see her friend, noting the slight changes that had occurred over the past two years. Catherine was taller than her now, not that it was particularly surprising: everyone was taller than Hikari-No, even Master Yoda. Catherine's black hair was nearly as long as Hikari-No's own, and it was tied back in a neat plait. Then the meaning of her words sank in, and Hikari-No frowned slightly as she mulled it over. 

"What do you mean, 'Everyone'?" she asked, confused. 

"You know", Catherine made a dismissive gesture with one hand and walked over to the window, standing in the sunlight, "Me, Tamira, Nilanka, Salyfe, the Princess. Even Melvin was looking forward to seeing you again." 

"Melvin?" whilst the other names had been familiar, Hikari-No could not remember ever meeting anyone by the name of Melvin. 

Catherine turned back, her yellow eyes the colour of the sunlight. "Oh, he told you his name was Jester, didn't he?" Recognition rushed back to her, and she nodded in relief, "Jester's his family name. He prefers it because he thinks that the name 'Melvin' is reserved for geeks." 

Although she did not know what a 'geek' was, Hikari-No nodded as if she did. If it was not for her new-found resolve not to read the minds of others unless she had to, Hikari-No could have lifted the information from Catherine's thoughts. Now that she had the opportunity to not listen in, she found the concept of eavesdropping on another person's innermost thoughts repulsive. So she kept her silence, but Catherine did not notice, continuing her dialogue. 

"Unfortunately, he recently went off to join the Royal Forces, so you won't be able to meet up with him. That's a shame, because he really seemed to like you. Not that you seem to have had any trouble making friends here. For someone who only spent two days on Domus Prime, you certainly affected a lot of people. You know", she paused and looked at Hikari-No speculatively, "You do look a lot like Tamira. They told me you did, but I just couldn't see it until now. You sure are quiet", she finished with her hands on her hips like an old woman. 

Hikari-No couldn't help it. She burst out laughing, shaking her head. Catherine raised one eyebrow slightly, then joined in. 

"I've missed you", Hikari-No said when she finally had control again. Catherine nodded, then noticed the books that were strewn across the table. 

"Why are you studying? This is supposed to be a holiday." 

Hikari-No shrugged. "A Jedi's work is never done," she quipped. "I have this big assignment to do on how the Force is important to the people of Domus Prime. I thought that I'd get it out of the way now so that we could celebrate later." 

Catherine could see the logic of this, and flicked her plait back over her shoulder in acquiescence. "So it's a project on religion?", Hikari-No nodded, "Well, then, maybe we could do some field research. There's a Temple in the city that you should visit if you want to find out about the people of Domus Prime. The priestesses there know everything about most of the different religions here. And maybe they could do a Fire reading for you." 

Hikari-No had already picked up her notes and was not paying any attention to the end of Catherine's sentence. She looked around, hoping that the Princess would not notice that she had temporarily left the library in such a state. There were books strewn across the desk she had been using, and small pieces of paper lay over them, fluttering in a non-existent breeze. 

They walked from the library together, and Hikari-No set out in the opposite direction to Catherine, who turned back in surprise. 

"Where are you going?" she asked. 

"I have to tell my Master that we are going out, or he will be upset." Hikari-No knew that if she ran off again Mi-Rai would be beyond upset, but she did not say that. 

"Don't worry about it", Catherine assured her, "I'll tell one of the guards to give him a message." 

Thus assured of her Master's continued mental stability, Hikari-No completely failed to notice that Catherine forgot to follow up on her promise. 

Hikari-No and Catherine passed through a series of secret passageways to emerge through the darkness in the city beyond the palace. When Hikari-No questioned Catherine on her knowledge of the dark tunnels, Catherine merely stated that the guards would not let her out the front gates, so the passages were the only option left if she wanted to spend any time in the real world. 

As the two girls walked down the busy city streets, Hikari-No took the opportunity to question her friend on the exact nature of her position in the palace. 

"Don't you know?" she replied cheerfully, "I'm the Princess' chosen one. Supposedly, she's training me to take over when she dies, but I doubt that'll ever happen. So, I get to hang around in the palace, and I get to go to all the parties, and the Princess drags me around with her wherever she goes. I also have to sit in on a lot of politics, but she gave me the afternoon off so that I could go out with you." 

"Your Princess seems very wise", Hikari-No ventured, unsure as to what to say now that she realised that her friend was royalty. Catherine turned around, and noticed the expression on Hikari-No's face. 

"Don't look at me that way", she snapped. "I'm still the same person I was before you knew, so don't treat me differently. The reason I don't tell anyone is that they then go and start calling me silly names like 'Your Highness', and I cannot stand that. When I become Queen, then they can be silly, but until then, I'm just Catherine, as I was before. So there." She poked her tongue out emphatically, then turned around and led the way down the street to a park. 

When she stood at the gateway to the park, she turned and pointed out a lone building on the top of the hill. "That's the temple", she said. 

The Temple of the Light was a small, modest collection of buildings on the top of the hill, overlooking the park. It was run by a group of priestesses, who tended the sacred flames in the main room, prayed and tended the many visitors who came seeking advice from the flames. The girls themselves were mostly young, although they were overseen by an older woman who Catherine whispered was also one of the Queen's handmaidens. 

As they climbed the hill, Hikari-No noticed two large black birds watching them trace the way up the path. The yellow eyes of the birds were the same colour as Catherine's own, and the way they looked at her was disconcerting. When she looked forward again, and saw another set of eyes looking at her she gasped and took a step back. 

"Don't be afraid", the priestess murmured, "I am sorry if I startled you." 

"Everyone seems to be doing that today", Hikari-No muttered as she looked up to properly see the raven-haired maiden. About eighteen years of age, her red robes contrasted with her eyes, that were so violet that they almost did not look real. She ran an idle hand through her hair, and laughed softly at the younger girl's attention. 

"My name is Rei", she said, offering a hand. 

"I'm Hikari-No", she answered politely. 

"And before either of you forget me, I'm Catherine", a third voice demanded the attention of the other two. 

"Yes princess, we know", Rei flashed her a glance of pure fire, then embraced the girl warmly. "We have missed you here at the Temple. But the palace calls you still, as it always will." 

"It is my destiny, you know that." 

Hikari-No was confused at this cryptic exchange, but held her tongue. Catherine suddenly remembered her presence, and turned around to explain. "I served as a priestess here for a time, as the Princess required of me. Rei here was my tutor, though she thought I was a rotten child." 

"I did not", the woman replied, "I never said that you were a rotten child." 

"You did so. You told Priestess Dunn that I was a rotten child with no sense of duty. I heard you." Her hands on her hips, Catherine dared the young priestess to challenge her words. Rei thought about it for a moment, then smiled. 

"And how did you hear that unless you were eavesdropping on our conversation?" Catherine had the grace to blush, looking down at her feet and trying to find a way out of the situation. 

"Umm, did I tell you that Hikari-No wanted to have someone do her a Fire reading?" she said, neatly changing the subject. Rei raised an eyebrow at the still squirming girl, but followed her lead with a nod of the head. 

"What does she want to know about?" although she spoke to Catherine, Hikari-No knew that the question was really directed to her. 

"I have never heard of a Fire reading before today, so I do not know what to ask for. In fact", she shot Catherine a glance, "I had intended to come to your Temple to work on my project on the influence of the Force on the lives of the people of Domus Prime." 

"So you did", the priestess replied cheerfully, noticing for the first time the stack of papers that was lodged under Hikari-No's arm. "Then you shall learn about our people, and their ways of life. But first", she took Hikari-No's free hand and began to lead her towards the main building, "we shall ask the Sacred Fire to show us of your destiny, little Jedi." 

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter Three

She sat before the Fire silently, not knowing what to expect. Her mind was in a state of calm, and she looked at the play of the flames, watching the almost hypnotic movements and wondering how the Temple priestess' actually saw visions in the flame.

Hikari-No sighed softly, and closed her eyes, slipping into a normal meditative trance, listening to the movements of the Force around her, and the steady sound of her own heartbeat. Beyond that, she could hear the chanting of a number of priestesses in another room at the rear of the Temple, and the praying thoughts of a number of visitors. From where Catherine sat, there was silence, but an anticipating silence, as she waited for the flames to answer her questions, and from Rei she could sense the expectation of a vision from the Fire, which she believe to be a living being of some sort. There was a subtle change in the air around her, and Hikari-No realised that Rei was channelling the Force into the flames, but without any control. She would be watching for whatever the Force chose to show her, which could be anything or nothing at all. She made a mental note to add something about this to her project, as she slowly opened her eyes.

The smell of smoke and incense drifted through the small room, which was not ornately decorated, despite it being the most important place in the Temple. She was seated cross-legged, as were the other girls, and she knew that outside others were waiting for their chance to see the Sacred Fire. 

Hikari-No considered helping Rei, using her control over the Force to speed things up, but she would not, she had too much respect for the priestess to so undermine her beliefs. Some soot suddenly flew up from the pit, and Hikari-No sneezed, tears forming in her eyes as she tried to remove the dust from them.

When she opened her eyes and saw clearly again, she could see a form in amongst the dancing flames, that were nearly still now. As she waited, her breath caught in her throat, and she wondered at this unusual application of the Force, and what it would show her. The image cleared, and Hikari-No could see the form of a grown woman, with long brown hair that flowed gracefully down her back, moving in time with the flames around her knees. 

'How is it possible that I can see colour amongst the orange and red of the Fire?', the logical part of her mind whispered, but the rest of her was still focussed on trying to see clearly, and wondering at who this woman was.

She was dressed strangely, in a form fitting suit of white material, with a short black skirt, and a collar of the same colour. On her chest, at the bottom of the collar was a purple bow, and another on her back. She wore blue boots that stretched up to her knees, and her white gloves had a blue band around her elbows. On her forehead glowed a silver tiara, with an unusual symbol etched on it that Hikari-No could not see clearly, despite herself. Around the woman's neck was a silver chain, with a locket at the end of it.

Perhaps the strangest thing about the vision was the woman's weapon, a long staff that seemed almost transparent. It glowed slightly, and Hikari-No could see that the entire thing was made out of some form of crystal. She did not know how she knew, but Hikari-No could tell that the woman was quite adept at channelling the Force through her weapon, using it destructively.

And yet, Hikari-No was almost certain that she was not an enemy to the Jedi. Although the woman was clearly a formidable warrior, her lips were curved in a smile, and there was something in her eyes that told Hikari-No that she could possibly be a friend someday. The figure bowed to Hikari-No regally, her blue eyes seeming to see the young girl clearly, and knowing that she was being watched. For a moment as the vision faded, Hikari-No thought that she could hear her laughter, and smiled in response.

Then she found herself staring into the empty flames, and Hikari-No fainted. 

Wandering through the palace, Mi-Rai Shinwa wondered once more where his normally dutiful Padawan had disappeared to. She was not in the library as she should have been, however it was clear from the state of the place that she had been there for some time before leaving. She had also taken most of her notes with her, which suggested that she had gone to continue her project. 

But the guards at the palace gate had not let her leave, so she was somewhere on the grounds still. But he had searched everywhere for her, looking first in that garden that she had run too during their last stay on Domus Prime. He sighed, and thought about disturbing the Princess.

No, it would not do for the Jedi Master to show his lack of control over his pupil, that would be damaging not only to his reputation but to the honour of the Order. He would find Hikari-No himself and then he would chain her to her bed so that she would not run away again.

It had been easy up until a few days ago, when she had suddenly learned how to hide her thoughts from him. Since then, it seemed that he was constantly having to go and find her as she wandered from one situation to another. It was not that he had anything important to see her for, just that he felt he should be checking up on his young student, who was more like a daughter to him.

He suddenly sensed a group of young girls in a nearby meeting room, and he decided to investigate. Sure enough, in the midst of this group was Hikari-No, her brown hair flowing loose and unsuccessfully hiding the fact that she was not wearing her robes, rather she was dressed in a stunning green dress. 

The other girls noticed his presence and fell silent as Mi-Rai approached them. Hikari-No had only been listening to the group absently, and she did not turn. "I have been looking all over for you, Hikari-No. Why didn't you tell me that you were finished in the library?" Though his tone conveyed anger, he knew that she would understand his concern.

The girl turned then, and looked at Mi-Rai with confusion evident in her eyes. "I am sorry, Master Jedi", she spoke quietly, "But I fear you have me mistaken with someone else." 

The way the girl spoke was enough to make him look closer at her. Although her hair and height matched Hikari-No's exactly, as did her facial features, he realised with a start that her eyes were violet whilst Hikari-No's were of the deepest blue. Passing a critical eye over the girl, he noticed that she was also perhaps two years older than his Padawan. Other than that, the two could have been twins. He nodded and bowed to her.

"I'm terribly sorry about this, Lady?", he paused for her to supply her name, looking expectantly at her.

"Tamira", she answered with a slight smile.

"Tamira then. It seems that I mistook you for someone else. Forgive me." With another bow, he turned and left the girls to their gossip, wondering exactly who was this girl who looked just like his Padawan. 

When she awoke later, her head was spinning, and she thought for a moment that the darkness of the room was closing in on her. A wave of premonition swept over her, and she shuddered in response. 

Someone brought a small light into the room then, and she looked around, glad that she was no longer alone, or in that total darkness. Hikari-No had always been afraid of the lack of light, even in childhood, and she could not sleep at night unless there was some small light around her.

A woman of about forty had come into the room, dressed as the other priestesses had been, wearing red robes and her greying hair flowing freely. She was the Queen's handmaiden, Hikari-No seemed to recall her name being Gemma, but she was uncertain as to whether this was true or not. She placed her light down on a bench near the wall, and came over to sit on the edge of the stretcher where Hikari-No was lying.

"So our sleeping Jedi has decided to awaken? Are you rested?" It was not really a question, but Hikari-No nodded nonetheless. Gemma's brown eyes smiled at her, and she spoke with a humour that was belied by the seriousness of her face. "Did our little princess not tell you that you would most likely faint after your first vision? She has a habit of conveniently forgetting things like that."

Hikari-No was beginning to realise this. Although Catherine was a true friend, and Hikari-No would never doubt her motives, she did tend to be a bit flighty. But her heart was always in the right place, and she always seemed to place her friends before herself on the order of importance, despite her position in the palace. She nodded, and smiled up at the priestess.

"So, do you want to discuss what you saw in the flames? That is", she corrected hastily, "if you did see something? Although being a Jedi, I am certain that you were able to catch a glimpse of something."

Hikari-No thought about it for a moment, and the details of her vision came rushing back to her, and she was surprised at the clarity of the image. When the words came, they were as if she were dreaming, and indeed she was as she felt the vision wash over her once more. "I saw a warrior, carrying a staff that was taller than herself, and dressed in the strangest of clothing. Though I did not realise it at the time, I think she may have been a Queen of some sort, for she seemed to command great power. She seemed to know that I was watching her, and she laughed at me. I could hear her voice, and just before I fainted I thought I could hear her whispering something to me, something of great importance, but I cannot remember what it was."

Hikari-No's voice trailed off, and it was only the sound of the priestess speaking to her that brought her back from her trance-like state. "Normally, seeing a person in the flames is a sign that this person will be your future self, or a possibility of the future. But I do not think this is the case with you. You saw a warrior, not a Jedi, and I think that you are most certainly destined to become a Jedi Knight. But perhaps this warrior is a person that you will know in the future, and this person will have a great influence on your life."

Hikari-No understood the logic of this interpretation, it was just what she had been thinking before the priestess had come into the small recovery room. But something did not seem right about her words, and the small snatches of the future she had seen at other times did nothing to prove her words wither way. She sighed.

"But perhaps your vision was merely symbolic", the priestess continued, "Perhaps this warrior appeared to you to warn you that there will be conflict in your life soon, and that you may not be able to choose the path of peace without having to fight. The staff is a old-style weapon, and not commonly used in the modern world where most have blasters to protect themselves. That she would choose to arm herself with it is unusual in itself, and could mean that the old times of conflict are returning. However, the staff is also a sign of royalty, and this fits with your thoughts that this woman was a Queen." 

But then a flash of confusion flickered over her face, and the elder priestess brushed a stray strand of hair back behind her right ear. "But it is rare that someone actually hears sound in the Fire, and I do not know how to interpret this part of your vision." Hikari-No looked up, her eyes wide with anticipation, and not a little uncertainty. "If the person you saw was real, then she was no doubt skilled in using the Force, and actively contacted you to warn you, or to give you her message. But otherwise, maybe the Force itself was trying to tell you something, although I have never heard of the Force laughing at anyone before." At this, the priestess chuckled, and Hikari-No found herself laughing out loud at the idea that perhaps everything she was, her thoughts and beliefs, everything she would ever do, was just some form of cosmic joke.

Gemma stopped eventually and smiled at Hikari-No, her eyes sparkling with a fire of their own, that seemed to echo the dancing patterns of the Great Fire upstairs. Hikari-No realised suddenly that they were underground, and she looked around, for the first time taking note of where she was.

The small room was barely furnished, with little more than several stretchers like the one Hikari-No was seated on, and a bench on which the light rested. The room was empty barring the two of them. The priestess caught her gaze, and smiled.

"Because of the festival our Temple has not been very busy these past few days. Everyone is off preparing to celebrate, and they forget that the Temple is still here, and will always be open to them. When they are happy, the people tend to forget us, but when things go wrong, they want to blame it on the gods, or the Force, or something other than their own decisions."

Hikari-No sighed with understanding, knowing that it was the same with the Jedi. Most of the people only wanted to know the Jedi when they were needed, and the rest of the time the Order was little more than an annoyance, a bunch of interfering people led by a group of old men, even though there were women on the Council.

Gemma stood, and brushed down her robes self-consciously. "Do you want to see the rest of the Temple now?"

Hikari-No stood, but hesitated. "What did Rei see in the flames?" she asked softly.

Gemma thought about it for a moment, sorting out what to tell this girl, and what was better left unsaid. "She said that she was able to see you leading an army against hordes of evil, and she said she saw you as a Jedi Knight. Rei also said that she saw you fall in love with a handsome man." There she stopped as though she had nothing more to say, and Hikari-No believed her, nodding her head. 

'She also saw the same man break your heart, and that you are the reborn soul of Unmei herself', the worried priestess finished in her thoughts.

She took Hikari-No's small hand then, and led her from the recovery room into a dimly lit passageway, the bare floor and walls making it seem gloomy and dark. Hikari-No had to suppress a shudder as Gemma walked her down the hallway, making small talk.

"Rei told me about your project", she said, as they reached the end of the long passage, her hand hesitating over the opening of a door. "Perhaps in this room you will find some of the answers to your questions." She swung the door open then, and Hikari-No found herself in a long room, with no furniture at all. However, her attention was immediately drawn to the walls, which were covered with detailed wood carvings that appeared so clear that they were of holograph quality.

They appeared to be some form of narrative, and she looked over at Gemma questioningly. The priestess moved over to what Hikari-No assumed was the first of the story, and began to speak.

"This is a telling of an ancient legend of our people. I will tell you the story if you wish to hear it." Hikari-No nodded, and the priestess paused a moment before beginning to speak. 

"The legends say that, many thousands of years ago, Domus Prime was ruled by a kindly King, who was also a powerful magician. It was said that he could control the weather and the seas, and every night the skies over Fuhenteki Na Shiro were lit up with fire that laced from his fingertips for the enjoyment of the people. It was a time of great peace and stability for the people of Domus Prime, and the happiness of the people was secure. But the King's most powerful magic can from the staff he wielded, an ancient relic from a lost age, that allowed him the power to change form from one shape to another.

"The King had three daughters of rare beauty and talent, who possibly would have been contenders for the throne of Domus Prime after the King's death. The eldest of the princesses was Nozomi. She had fiery red hair and a fiery temper to match it. She was born with a warrior's spirit, and was well trained in the arts of fighting. Nozomi had led the forces of Domus Prime in several battles, receiving much acclaim for her skills, but always knowing how best to protect her troops whilst decimating the enemy.

"His second daughter was Chie. She was as serious as her elder sister could be flighty. Her hair was the colour of nature, a deep brown of the earth from which all things grow, and she was just as steady and dependable as the earth itself. She was a scholar of great intelligence, and some said that she held the wisdom of all the ages in her mind, which was a formidable weapon.

"It is on the place of the third sister that the stories differ. She was a dark child, and sickly, with hair as black as a night without the moons and eyes the colour of starlight. Some say that she was a priestess of this very Temple, whilst others believe that she was one of the Dark Jedi. Still more believe that she was an avatar of the Goddess of Death herself. Whatever her role, it is accepted by all that Unmei was skilled in the ways of the Force, both the Dark and Light sides, and that if necessary, she would bring about the destruction of the whole of Domus Prime."

At this point, Hikari-No turned away from the carving of the stunningly beautiful Unmei, and looked up at Gemma, interrupting her story as she would not normally, but compelled to ask her question while thinking of it.

"But what would make such a deed necessary, and how could one person bring destruction to an entire planet?"

Gemma tore her eyes away from the panel with great difficulty. She frowned as she mulled over this puzzle once more, as she contemplated Hikari-No's future. After a long moment of silence, she answered.

"I do not know. But let me continue."

"One day, the King and his daughters were out enjoying the countryside, walking through one of the forests that are so common here. They were alone, the King being certain that Nozomi's skills, Chie's wisdom and his own magic would be able to protect them from any minor incidents that might occur.

"However, the girls went off on their own for a while when their father was resting late that afternoon. At one point Unmei stumbled and accidentally broke the ancient seals that had held a terrible beast captive underground. He sprang forth, destroying all in his path, his object being the three sisters who now fled before him. "The King awoke, and chased after the beast, but all of his great magic would not affect it. In his desperation to save his daughters the King reached out with his staff, and changed the three girls into the moons that now still watch over Domus Prime. Fiery Nozomi became the red moon, calm Chie the blue, and dark Unmei is the silver moon, and the three of them became the spirit guardians of our people.

"With his prize gone, the beast turned to the King, who changed his own form into that of a raven so that he could escape. He flew up out of the beast's reach, and caused a rockslide from a nearby mountain that encased the beast once more.

"However, his magic staff was lost, and without it the King could not change himself, or his daughters back to their human forms. At night sometimes you can still hear the raven's mournful call, as he searches for the magical staff, so that one day he may again live with his daughters, in peace."

Hikari-No stared up at the final scene, of the three moons newly risen above the forest, and the large raven flying overhead, as though searching for something. She saw the lights from the city, and the towering form of the palace beyond that, and the dancing lights of the stars behind them all. Somehow the artist had managed to make the moons seem mournful, as though they were lamenting some loss.

The darker tones of the wood used to decorate the faces of the moons added shadows that made them seem as though they were the real satellites of Domus Prime, rather than just a clever copy.

She sighed at the end of the story, and smiled at Gemma, who was looking for a favourable response.

"Thank you", she breathed softly.

Outside the Temple in the last of the fading sunlight, she met up with Catherine once more. Catherine flashed her a knowing glance as the both Gemma and Rei bustled them off, claiming to have other duties to attend to.

It was only after several minutes of walking silently through the darkening city that Catherine realised that she had not said anything for several minutes, and she smiled and started skipping down the road. "So", she said knowingly, "What did you see in the Fire? Enough to finish off your project?"

Hikari-No grinned. "I hope so. Most of it should be done soon, but I won't be able to finish it until the trip back. What about you? Did you find out what you wanted to know?"

"Sure did." Catherine gave her a hand signal that Hikari-No thought meant 'victory'. "I didn't see very much in the Fire, but I did find out that one of the girls in training has fallen in love with one of the boys from the palace, and that a certain princess is going to be asked to dance at the ball by one of the cutest boys around."

Boys? Surely Catherine was a little too young to be thinking about boys yet? But then again, she was more socially able than Hikari-No, and maybe finding boys was something that she was ready for. Even if she was only ten. 

Hikari-No sighed. Would her life on Coruscant ever be like this? Would she ever have friends like Catherine there? Or was she destined to be alone forever, save for her few friends here on Domus Prime, where everything was so idyllic? It just didn't seem fair. 

She found herself blinking back tears, but she remembered the image in the Fire, of the brave warrior who seemed to understand Hikari-No's fears and sadness, and she could not remain depressed. She would meet the mysterious fighter someday, and she would know Catherine when she was Queen, and someday, somehow, Hikari- No would find a place where she belonged.

Once they had entered the palace proper, Catherine had been spotted and escorted away by a palace guard who told Hikari-No that perhaps Catherine had not been as free to wander the city as she had been told. She sighed, and went back to the library, tracing her way through darkening corridors as the sunlight faded. 

The library was deserted still, and it took her a moment to find the controls for the lights. Once they were on, she took a glance at the timepiece one the wall and realised that she would have only half a standard hour before she would leave to find her Master. She quickly replaced the books she had been using, and sat down to type a few last notes on her experience that afternoon.

Sounds from the party drifted down the passageways of the palace, reminding Hikari- No of what she was missing out on. Laughter and music did brighten the small room she had been given to sleep in, but it did not banish the sorrow from her heart completely. She even agreed with her Master, she did deserve to be punished for her transgression, she just wished that he had not grounded her from visiting the celebrations.

It was as though she had not spent the afternoon doing her research. She had ten pages of rough notes from her visit to the temple, and she would surely have a good report for Master Genki by the time she returned to Coruscant.

But still, he was her Master, and she had disobeyed him. 

She flicked her Padawan braid out of her face, so that she could clearly see the two pieces that she was welding together. By tomorrow, the section around the power pack would be completely waterproof, or so she hoped. Then she would have a complete lightsaber save for the missing crystals. It would be easier to get them if she simply knew which colour she wanted. Then she would just ask one of the Masters, or go join one of the older classes where the students were taught to build a lightsaber. 

She heard a light footfall in the rest of the apartment, and looked up in surprise, trying to find a way to hide her precious project before someone saw it. But the metal was still too hot, and so she simply stood in front of the spread equipment on the floor, hoping that she would be able to distract whoever it was before they saw it.

A friendly green face poked around the doorframe, and inwardly Hikari-No breathed a sigh of relief. Catherine would never betray her secret, not if she knew how important it was. 

"So, why aren't you at the party?" she asked, stepping into the small space quickly, holding up the ends of her long dress so that she would not trip. Her hair was intricately braided into a neat decoration around her face, framing it and forming a crown of black tresses.

"Because I am in trouble." Hikari-No sat down on the floor again, turning her back on Catherine, and moving to try and join some of the other pieces.

"What did you do?" Catherine sat down beside her with no concern for her dress. She picked up the end of Hikari-No's braid, and started swinging it in small circles, until Hikari-No turned again and snatched it from her, placing the end in her mouth and frowning. 

"I did not tell Master Mi-Rai that we were going out this afternoon." Catherine reached over and pulled the braid from Hikari-No, muttering something about it being a bad habit. 

"That's all? You didn't tell him where you were going, and now you're stuck in here all night? He would hate having me as his student." She laughed, and Hikari-No shook her head, unable to remain angry at her friend for long. 

"I guess so." Hikari-No sighed, as the musicians outside started a tune that was obviously for dancing. Catherine heard it to, and sought to distract her friend.

"What are you building?"

"What does it look like?" Hikari-No wanted to see if Catherine could visualise the pieces of metal and plastic on the floor as she did. Catherine nodded, and bent to examine the pieces more carefully.

"It looks a little like a flashlight, but not quite. There is something unusual about it, almost as if it is." As her voice trailed off, Catherine's yellow eyes widened, and she looked up at Hikari-No in surprise. "You're building a lightsaber?" It was only partly a question, but she nodded nonetheless. 

"Wow." Catherine picked up the now cool casing and held it gingerly in her hands, as if afraid that she might burn them. She looked at it from every angle, delighting in the feel of the metal, and the light weight of the entire design. She pushed the activation switch, and sighed when nothing happened. 

Hikari-No took it from her then, and opened the casing once more, showing Catherine the empty spaces that were left. "You see, this is were the crystals go. Generally you use two or three, and they focus the light, and allow you to change the length of the beam. I will also add a fourth here, to determine the intensity, so that I could have a blade that is nothing more than a flashlight, or one that will cut through everything it touches. I can use the weak one for training." Hikari-No's eyes shone as she described her idea, and Catherine nodded politely, only partially understanding.

"The crystals also determine the colour of your lightsaber beam, which is one reason why I have not finished it. You see, once I work out what colour I want, it is only a matter of getting crystals the right size and colour. Add to that the fact that my Master does not yet know about this, and you can see why it's not quite done yet."

"You haven't told Master Shinwa yet? Why?" Hikari-No shook her head, thinking about it for a moment.

"Most Jedi do not build their first lightsaber until they are sixteen, or fourteen if they are particularly gifted. I'm only ten, and it seems to upset my Master when I do not act as the other students do. If he found out that I have done this, well, I might get in even more trouble, and I do not want that." 

Hikari-No packed the lightsaber back into it's box, and then hid the box at the bottom of her bag once more. Catherine had not moved, her eyes staring off into the distance.

"What are you thinking?" Hikari-No interrupted her reverie, and Catherine looked up at her, yellow eyes snapping back into focus. She blinked a few times as she struggled to understand the question, then laughed and stood.

"Nothing important. I had best return to the party now, or they will notice my absence." She brushed down her dress, and moved to leave the room, stopping when Hikari-No called her back.

"Why were you not at the celebrations?"

Catherine looked confused. "Which celebrations?"

"The ones two years ago. The ones where I met Jester and Tamira." 

Recognition dawned in her eyes, as Catherine remembered the day on which they met. 

"Well", she said, cocking her head to one side and smiling cheekishly, "Pretty much the same reason as why you're stuck in here tonight."

With that, she swept from the room, leaving Hikari-No alone once more.

  

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter Four

Hikari-No awoke early, before the sun over Domus Prime had risen. A faint instinct told her that someone was coming, and she quickly rose and dressed, reaching for her brush. An automatic check as she tied back her hair told her that her Master was still sleeping, and that he would not rise for several hours yet. Though she searched the passageways with her mind, she could not immediately identify anyone coming to visit her. 

Perhaps she had been mistaken. But that was unusual. Normally something like this was easy, and she could have sworn that somebody had been looking for her. 

There was a creaking noise behind her, and she jumped in surprise, spinning around and throwing the closest weapon to hand. The brush hit Catherine square on the forehead and she fell to the ground with a clatter, the tray of food scattering over the carpet.

"Is that any way to treat your best friend?" she asked with a slight smile, rubbing the spot on her head where Hikari-No's impromptu attack had struck. Horror washed over Hikari-No's features as she realised what she had done, and she rushed over to help Catherine to her feet. She concentrated for a few moments, taking away the pain that she had caused.

"That feels much better," Catherine said, realising what Hikari-No was doing. After a moment, she bent over to try and collect the food, placing what she could back on the tray, before moving a rug to cover the stain. "So much for breakfast", she murmured good naturedly, shrugging away Hikari-No's apologies, as the smaller girl struggled to find words that would make amends for her attack.

"What are you doing up at this time of the morning?" Catherine asked. 

Hikari-No shrugged. "I had a feeling that someone wanted to speak with me, so I got ready. Unfortunately, I was not quite prepared for an attack from the rear, and I was startled." Her eyes remained fixed on the ground, and a blush on her cheeks.

Catherine took her hand and squeezed it. "The more fool me for trying to surprise a Jedi. I deserved that, although I didn't realise you had such good aim." 

"Does it still hurt?" Catherine shook her head, and Hikari-No looked over at the wall in surprise. "How did you get in here?"

Catherine grinned, and went over to stand by a portion of the wall, looking around for a moment as she wracked her brain for the right location. Finally, she remembered, and pressed a small space near the window. A door swung open, revealing another of the passages that the palace seemed to be filled with. Hikari-No wondered if there was a single wall in Fuhenteki Na Shiro that was not hollow. 

Catherine answered Hikari-No's question before she could ask it.

"I came to see you this morning because the Princess wants to speak with you. I didn't think you'd be awake, so I brought you breakfast. Unfortunately", she continued with a wry grin, "You decided that you didn't want anything."

"The Princess wishes to speak with me?", Hikari-No was confused, but brushed it off, standing and checking over her robes. "Then we had best go at once."

Catherine nodded and the two girls walked out through the passage, as the birds outside the window began to chirp contentedly.

The Princess did not look at all surprised to see two girls of around ten years appearing through a secret doorway into her bedroom. Hikari-No was surprised, as she had expected to be meeting the Princess in the Throne Room, or at least a normal visiting chamber. And yet, she knew that this was what the Princess wanted. Three of her handmaidens were stationed around the room, dressed in their blue gowns and shadowing the Princess. Hikari-No thought she recognised Gemma, the tall priestess from the Temple the other day standing in the corner, but could not be certain in the dim light.

The Princess herself looked little older than she had when Hikari-No first met her two years earlier. She was dressed in a striking blue long dress, and her face was covered with the face colour that Hikari-No was beginning to realise was also tradition on Domus Prime. However, despite her painted features, the smile on the Princess' face was genuine, and Hikari-No bowed deeply to her. Belatedly, Catherine did the same, causing the Princess to laugh softly.

"Good morning, Your Majesty", Hikari-No said politely, remembering her lessons in etiquette and hoping that she would not embarrass the Jedi Order with her behaviour this day.

The Princess looked out the window, to where the horizon was only just beginning to lighten with the first rays of dawn. "Is it?" she asked. "I rather thought that it was too early to tell."

Beside Hikari-No, Catherine yawned loudly, blushing as she tried to hide her action. The Princess laughed, and Hikari-No felt the last of her sorrow from earlier drop away, as Catherine stamped her foot and tried to look angry.

Hikari-No took a deep breath, trying to locate some courage and finding it as she listened to the pulsing of the Force around her. "Your Majesty", she spoke, "Why did you wish to speak with me now? Surely my Master is more able to fulfil whatever task or custom you would ask of me. I am only a Padawan after all, and not a very good one at that." Always so honest, she sighed, never knowing when to close her mouth.

"Child", the Princess began, her eyes locking onto Hikari-No's, not letting her look away, "I did not ask you here because I want you to do anything for me. I have heard much about you recently from my own pupil, and I have found something that I would do for you."

She made a small gesture to the woman in the corner, and Hikari-No watched in puzzlement as Gemma brought over a small box that she had been carrying. The Princess turned to her, and Hikari-No stepped forward, not understanding what was taking place.

"These are to be a gift to you, from Domus Prime." The Princess opened the box, and inside Hikari-No saw four sapphires of deepest blue, just the right size for her lightsaber, their many-faceted light shining faintly. Hikari-No turned to Catherine in surprise, to see her grinning wildly. She spun back to the Princess, desperately trying to find the correct words to say.

"Your Majesty", she bowed again, "I cannot accept these." Hikari-No stepped back, and saw confusion on the Princess' face.

"Why? Surely I can give you whatever I want to?"

Hikari-No shook her head. "These are far too valuable, Your Majesty. And besides, a Jedi could never accept such a gift, we are expected to do our duty without thought of reward." Now Catherine turned to her in surprise, understanding her mistake. "I have done little that would ever warrant such a generous present."

The Princess stood from her chair, and walked to Hikari-No, embracing her. "I wish that my own daughter was like you, child. You give without thought of reward, and still you are prepared to love those who would love you, without condition." She pulled back, and smiled at Hikari-No. "Take the trinkets, child. I know you would have more benefit from them than I, and I will ask for nothing in return, nor tell your Master about the gift if you do not wish me to. They are yours, free of any obligation or responsibility. Besides", she whispered in an aside, "I couldn't think of anything else to do with the four of them. And blue really is your colour."

Hikari-No considered the morality of the situation, and bowed her acquiescence. "It will be as you say. However, I swear on my honour as a Jedi, that I will always do my best to protect you, and the people of Domus Prime. If you ever have any need of my services, all you must do is contact me and I will come at once." 

With that, she threw her arms around the elderly lady, hugging her fiercely, and tears came to her eyes as she tried to express her gratitude. When she stepped back, the Princess waved for the two girls to leave, exchanging a glance with Catherine as she closed the passage behind her.

Even as he slept, Mi-Rai heard the words spoken by his Padawan, and though he tried, he could not stop her from making the vow.

"I swear on my honour as a Jedi, that I will always do my best to protect you, and the people of Domus Prime."

He turned over, the words fading even as he was hearing them. 

However, when he awoke later, he couldn't shake the feeling that something important had happened, and as he sat listening to the patterns of the Force, all the nuances he could hear sounded somehow triumphant.

That afternoon, Catherine and Hikari-No were both seated on the floor in Hikari-No's room, relaxed in the knowledge that Master Shinwa would not return from the other side of the planet for at least another hour.

"Are you certain that this is going to work?" Catherine asked in a low voice, taking precautions to ensure that she could no be overheard even though there was no danger. She seemed to delight in the intrigue that she was creating in her own mind, and appeared to be more nervous about the Jedi Master's return than Hikari-No, who had decided to be philosophical about the matter. If he found out, then she would explain, if not, then she would not have to.

"I read the books clearly, and I know I understood them. This will work, provided I haven't overlooked anything, but I think all the circuitry is correct." She was placing the last sapphire gently in its slot, making a final check to ensure that the beam of light from the power source would be correctly focussed.

"If you say so", Catherine did not sound certain, and it was only her statement earlier about being Hikari-No's best friend that prevented the blue-eyed girl from removing the other from the room by force. Her interruptions were frequent and distracting, but Hikari-No was getting better at simply blocking them out, concentrating only on the task at hand. 

"I do." With a sigh, Hikari-No replaced the casing and sealed it in place, daring to cross her fingers and hope that everything would work. She adjusted the power setting for minimum, and turned to smile at Catherine. "It is ready", she said, before closing her eyes and igniting the lightsaber, instinctively turning it away from anything before flicking the small switch.

With her eyes closed, she heard the low buzzing sound, a faint hum that seemed to sing in her veins and dance in her mind. She opened her eyes slowly, and saw a faint beam of almost navy light protruding from the end of the device. A smile spread across her face, and she moved the beam slowly, amazed at the fact that not only was it working, but her lightsaber was beautiful. She turned around the room, doing a few quick turns and movements, mostly instinctive, but there was a certain grace to them that quickly cheered Catherine.

Hikari-No turned around suddenly, swinging the blade down in a wide arc and slicing the bed in half. She gasped, and waited for it to fall apart. When it did not, she turned off the device and went to gently finger the bed, realising that it had not been cut, and that the training blade could not have done any damage.

Catherine was the first to speak, jumping up and down and screaming her delight, all pretence of hiding her actions forgotten in the thrill of success. She grabbed Hikari-No's hands and spun her around and the two celebrated for a long moment, and it was only Hikari-No's discretion that prevented Catherine from running off and telling everyone what they had accomplished.

Over the course of the next hour, Hikari-No experimented with the lightsaber, learning its balance and how to move it. Although she never turned up the power setting beyond that low beam that would not cut anything, she understood it's destructive capabilities better than anyone else, because she had designed it. 

She thought back to some of the training exercises she had seen the older students practicing in one of the gymnasiums at the Temple before she left, and tried to emulate their movements, turning, and imagining her foe before her, visualising his every move and countering it in her mind. Catherine sat on the end of the bed, enthralled by the subtleties of the dance she was watching. 

Both girls were so caught up in their occupations that they missed the tell-tale sounds of movements outside Hikari-No's room, and so when Jedi Master Mi-Rai Shinwa opened the door, both were extremely startled. Hikari-No dropped the lightsaber in her fright as she turned around, and Catherine jumped to her feet, trying to stand in front of the weapon and conceal it from his view. 

The Jedi Master knew immediately that something was wrong, and it was only then that he noticed the faint sound of a lightsaber, and looked down at the floor. The expression on his face would have been comical, if both girls had been in the frame of mind to notice anything other than their own worry.

Mi-Rai leapt across the room, to snatch Hikari-No out from under the lightsaber, which should have been slicing through her feet. He sat her down on the bed, and looked at them in worry with all the pain of an anxious parent evident in his face. After a few moments, he looked up at her face in surprise, then down at the nearly forgotten device, picking it up and then waving his own hand through it. Both girls gasped, but nothing dreadful happened.

Looking over the handle of the lightsaber, he quickly found the control and switched it off. Mi-Rai sighed.

"So, that is what you have been hiding from me." Hikari-No blushed, and looked down at the floor, sitting on the bed in sadness and apprehension. Catherine sensed that she was not wanted, and slipped through the open door. Neither Jedi noticed her leave.

"I did not want to worry you, Master", she whispered softly, wondering what her punishment would be this time. 

He sighed again, sitting down on the bed beside her, and placing one arm around her shoulders. "What am I going to do with you, Little One?" he asked, never expecting a reply. 

A single tear fell down Hikari-No's cheek. He noticed, and wiped it off with a gentle hand. "Don't cry, Little One. You've done nothing wrong, except for 'forgetting' to mention that you were building a Jedi's weapon. I was just surprised, that's all." She looked up at him, not trusting herself to speak, and trying to see the certainty that was clear in his eyes. "You've done well, and later I want you to explain to me fully how it works, so that I can make sure that you understand the theory behind the mechanics. But for now, I am going to take care of this, just to make sure that nothing happens, and you are going to get ready for dinner with the Princess." He lifted her chin with his hand, looking at her blue eyes and smiling. "After all, what would people say if they say you looking all messed up like that? You have to hold up the reputation of the Order, and right now you look like the surface of a Dagobah swamp during the monsoon season."

She giggled despite her attempt to feel miserable.

"This will never work", Hikari-No pleaded as Catherine applied the cosmetics to her face, blushing with embarrassment. Her thoughts were screaming: please do not make me do this. The pale pink dress she had been forced to wear was causing her to itch, and she could tell just by looking at the shoes that she would never be able to stand in them, let alone walk. Her hair was bound up in such a manner that no one would notice her braid tucked up in the mess, although Tamira said it was a flattering style.

Tamira was having an easier time of it, although she still looked nervous. She was sitting calmly in Hikari-No's spare set of robes, and she would have no trouble walking in the high boots. Her braid looked authentic enough, and she made the perfect model of a Jedi Padawan.

The two girls glanced over at each other, ignoring Catherine's continuous prattle about how to act for a moment. Hikari-No sighed. She knew that this was a mistake, but could not tell Catherine. Hopefully no one would notice. That way, she would not get into trouble, and tomorrow she would leave Domus Prime, with no one the wiser. However, as she looked at Tamira, and saw her reflection as she was used to seeing it, she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"And for the final touch", Catherine crowed, holding out a pair of boxes, one to each girl. She was smiling mischievously, and Hikari-No felt a sudden reluctance to open it. Still, what choice did she have? Carefully, she opened the case, and inside saw a pair of eye lenses, tinted to the purple colour of Tamira's eyes. She understood then that the disguise would be flawless, and her Master would be the only person who could tell them apart based on appearances. Tamira would simply have to stay away from him. 

It was the last night of celebration, and so he would probably be too busy to notice that something was up anyway. Or so they hoped. 

When her preparations were finally complete, she looked in the mirror for the first time since Catherine had arrived, and was amazed to note that the girl who looked back at her was not the girl who had been there earlier. This girl was taller, for one thing, and she had a confidence that could not be found in Hikari-No's own eyes. She turned to Tamira, and for the first time dared to hope that no one would notice the change.

Catherine was grinning, and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "This will be a night to remember", she said, and Hikari-No could not help but agree. 

The first time she stumbled in the high heels, she used the Force to steady herself without thought. Suddenly she understood how to imitate Tamira's grace, using a steady stream of energy to hold herself upright. After a few steps, she no longer had to concentrate as hard, and by the time they had reached the entrance to the Great Hall she could walk about in the shoes as if they were made for her feet, without any semblance of effort.

The dress would still be a problem. Hikari-No could not see how anyone could wear clothes like this, surely the folds and ruffles got in the way all the time. But, she supposed that most people were not as athletic as the Jedi, and they did not require functional clothing that a person could move about in. After all, the dress was really little more than decoration. Still, she thought, rubbing at a sleave, did it have to itch so much?

Her hands would give her away, she was certain of that. Every time she started to think of anything, she reached up to where her braid would normally be, and that unconscious action would no doubt betray everything.

What did a Jedi know about being a Countess anyway?

The night was still early when they arrived, before most of the guests, including Hikari-No's Master. However, the Princess was seated at the Head Table already, in earnest discussion with one of the Councillors. The three made their way to the children's table, at the back corner, and Hikari-No found her eyes drifting to the shadowed corner where she had met Jester two years ago. Though she did not realise it, she had expected him to be there, and was disappointed when he was not.

They sat down, and Catherine took that moment to give them some last-minute instructions before anyone else arrived. She turned to Tamira first.

"Remember, Hikari-No is very quiet, and so that is how you must appear. You must not speak to anyone that she does not know, which is pretty much everyone. I don't think anyone would mind if you already knew everyone's names, because Jedi are strange people." Hikari-No bristled at this, but Catherine just told her to be quiet. "Don't continue any conversations that Tamira has held with people, because you are not Tamira. You are Hikari-No Miko, Jedi Padawan."

She turned to Hikari-No then, who was blushing from Catherine's description of her. "And as for you: You are Tamira, the Countess of Chikara, a small area on the north side of Domus Prime's main continent. You look up to no one, and no one tells you what to do. Act respectful of your elders, and go along with whatever Danya says, although if it's too stupid, look over at me for help. Which reminds me. I'll try and keep an eye on you both tonight, to help out whenever it is needed, but I can't be in two places at once, so try not to get into trouble." And with that, the conversation stopped because Danya, the former 'Queen of all that is Star Wars', had arrived with her cronies.

The test had begun.

Hikari-No ate demurely, and if anyone noticed that Tamira was being unusually quiet, they put it down to nerves at being allowed at the party. Over the past few years, her uncle had become increasingly strict regarding her behaviour. On the other hand, Hikari-No had turned out to be an interesting dinner partner.

Her Master would be furious at the tales that Tamira was weaving in her name, and more than once Catherine had been forced to kick her under the table to prevent Tamira from telling what she felt would make a great Jedi adventure. It seemed that everyone wanted to be a Jedi, or at least take part in the glorified adventures that they believed the Jedi got to live.

There had been a few surprises that night with regard to the guests that had come to the celebrations, the largest for Hikari-No being that Melvin Jester had been allowed leave to return home for one night. He was seated at one of the back tables reserved for the Princess' handmaidens and some of the lesser nobility, including Tamira's uncle. Jester was dressed in his naval uniform, but Hikari-No recognised the smile on his face immediately and wondered if he would remember her. Though Hikari-No did not realise it, there was another reason for Jester's return: his father was ill. 

Once the last of the plates had been taken away, conversation started up in earnest amongst the children, and Hikari-No was accosted by several people wanting to know how she was coping with her uncle, and when she would be able to take over her duties as Countess. Fortunately, Catherine was listening, and answered the queries generally, telling the others that they should leave Tamira alone because nothing had changed since they last spoke, so why ask the same old, dull, questions. Feeling a bit abashed, silence dawned across the table. 

Hikari-No glanced up at the Head Table, meeting her master's eyes for a moment before looking away quickly, blushing. Danya noticed the direction of her contemplation, and made a comment about the "blind" Jedi Master. Hikari-No bristled, not understanding the remark.

"What did he do to you, Danya, that was so bad?" she demanded, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. Over the noise of the rest of the room, no one would notice one argument.

"He is old and senile, and I do not care that he is a Jedi Master. Anyone who cannot tell the difference between you and that brat over there is a fool." The sneer on her face was obvious, and Hikari-No smiled. 

She sat down, understanding that perhaps their trick would work, if her Master had already once failed to see the difference between Tamira and herself. She resisted the urge to call Danya a fool, instead enjoying the knowledge that at least she knew the truth. Instead of retorting, Hikari-No turned to the boy sitting next to her, and started a conversation with him instead, finding out more about fixing up speeders than she ever needed to know. She kept an ear on Tamira's conversation about the time she fought a pack of Rancors and saved the life of a Prince as she listened to the boy, and tried her best not to wish for some entertainment for the Head Table. Unfortunately, it seemed that Jester's father was not present, although she had been lead to believe that he would be.

A few musicians had taken their places around the room, performing as individuals and groups for the various important people at different table. However, it was clear that none would bother with the children's table, and so Salyfe disappeared to fetch her own musical instrument. She returned a moment later, carrying a Lita, which was a seven-stringed instrument that she used mainly as accompaniment. Though Hikari-No could not play, she appreciated the fine sound from the instrument, wishing that she had some musical training. Salyfe tuned the instrument and sang a ballad by herself first, with some of the other children joining her on the chorus.

Hikari-No sat silently, enjoying the music, and although Danya was inordinately pleased with the sound of her own voice, no one seemed to agree with her. At least not in the silence of their minds. 

When she finally finished one solo that seemed to drag forever, Hikari-No sighed a little too loudly, for Danya heard her. Suddenly, she realised that Tamira had not joined any of the songs, and turned to her, an evil-looking smile on her face.

"Tamira, why don't you lead the next one?", she asked sweetly, and Hikari-No started to panic slightly. She tried to think of a way out of her situation, but Catherine was talking to Tamira. She was all alone, and she had never sung a note before. Idly, she wondered if Tamira could sing at all. She lightly probed Salyfe's mind, being careful not to listen to her deeper thoughts, only her memories of Tamira singing. Now, if only she could pull this off. 

She took a deep breath. "Very well", Hikari-No murmured, and Salyfe began to play something. Though Hikari-No did not recognise the song, the melody was simple, and so she opened her mouth and started to sing, making up the words as she went along, telling a story of two lovers forever separated by destiny and the will of the Force. It was an old tale, and Hikari-No did not bother with embellishments, closing her eyes and slipping into a light trance, letting the Force guide her actions and words.

When she was done, the ballad ending with the death of the man, and the woman's subsequent suicide, Hikari-No realised that silence had fallen over the table, and the two neighbouring tables as well, and that the eyes of everyone who had heard the song were on her. Not knowing how to react, she lowered her head, blushing and wondering if this was a good thing. 

There was a clapping sound behind her, and she turned to see Jester applauding her. "Well done, Tamira", he said with a smile, "Though I did not know you could sing in the alto register." She did not understand, colour rising on her cheeks, although she now suspected that when Tamira sang, it was with a higher voice. 

She smiled lightly. "It comes and goes", she murmured. Catherine had finally decided to interfere, loudly asking Salyfe to play one of her favourite songs. She started to, and most of the other children joined in, though Danya abstained, the look on her face suggesting that she had eaten a sour Basa Fruit. At the other tables, conversations started up again, and the moment was soon forgotten.

If anyone noticed that Tamira blushed frequently and spoke little throughout the rest of the evening, nothing was spoken aloud, and though she felt Jester's eyes on her a number of times, she could not look up, nor even think about speaking to him.

An hour after the singing began, a messenger came to fetch Hikari-No for "a quick word with the Princess". Tamira flashed her a worried look, before standing and following the handmaiden to the Head Table. Catherine and Hikari-No looked worried for a moment, but then the beginning of an idea began to form in Hikari-No's mind. She told Catherine to keep everyone's attention off her, and started to concentrate. 

Hikari-No sensed Tamira arriving before the Princess, and bowing lowly. She made contact with her mind, willing Tamira to hear her thoughts. "Tamira", she called, "answer me in your mind. Can you hear me?"

"Hikari-No?", the astonished thought came, "Is that you?"

"Yes." She was glad, perhaps they could still convince the Princess that Tamira was Hikari-No. The Princess asked about her lightsaber, and Hikari-No realised that her Master must have spoken about it to the Princess.

"What do I say?" Tamira was worried.

"Tell her that it is working perfectly, and that your master will soon begin to teach you how to use it." Tamira related the message almost verbatim, and the Princess turned to Master Shinwa, asking him a short question that neither girl could hear. She laughed softly at his response, and Tamira bowed.

Someone was shaking Hikari-No's arm, and the contact was severed suddenly, leaving Tamira alone on the other side of the room. She looked up, slightly annoyed. Everyone was looking at her. "What?", she asked of Catherine, who blushed, the pink flush an interesting contrast to the green of her skin. Catherine made a small gesture, indicating that Hikari-No should turn around. 

A boy was standing there, about fifteen years in age, and dressed in the formal suit that seemed to be so popular on Domus Prime. His hand was held out to her, and there was a pleading look in his eyes.

"Would you please dance with me?" he asked softly, and Hikari-No turned to Catherine, who nodded slightly. She realised belatedly that the musicians had banded together, and couples were beginning to dance together in the large space that had formed in the center of the room. She stood, not daring to trust herself to speak, and placed her hand in the boy's own.

He lead her to the dance floor, and placed his arms around her in the traditional dance hold. Though she had never danced before, she followed his movements, and soon the slow steps were almost automatic. She took that lull to establish contact with Tamira again, who was more than a little worried. Fortunately, the Princess was busy conversing with Master Shinwa.

"Calm down", Hikari-No said, "I am back." Inwardly, Tamira breathed a sigh of relief. Hikari-No turned around on the floor, concentrating on holding to Tamira's mind, and accidentally stepping on the boy's foot.

"What happened?" Tamira asked, now angry at her abandonment.

"I cannot be in two places at once. I had to learn how to dance," she chided Tamira. Step, turn and bow, she thought to herself.

"Oh. Who are you dancing with then?" Hikari-No sent her an image of the boy, wondering herself who it was. "That's Axe. He's going to join the Royal Forces next year", Hikari-No realised that he must be older than he looked. "He's kind of dreamy, don't you think?" 

Hikari-No opened her eyes, and failed to see what Tamira did. "Can you escape now?" she asked Tamira, who was looking up at the Princess.

"I think so." With a bow, Tamira left the Princess' gaze as the dance was ending. Both girls arrived at the table at the same time, and a glance was enough time for them to decide to leave the party. 

Hikari-No and Tamira came back to the party before the next dance was finished, each dressed in her own clothes. However, they were now firm friends, the experience forging a bond between them that would not be easily broken. And they were both in agreement. They would convince Catherine that they were still changed, just to see if they could fool her.

It seemed as if everyone was dancing, save for the Padawan in the corner alone. The last of the tables had been removed, and only the people around the Princess were still seated. She sighed, looking at the swirling figures. Despite herself, she found herself wishing that she was one of those girls in the pretty dresses. But it seemed that no one wanted to dance with the youngest girl in the room, particularly one as weird as Hikari-No.

'You had your chance', she thought, 'and you gave it up. Besides, Tamira is having much more fun than you would.' It was true, Tamira was dancing with Axe again, her long hair flowing freely in soft waves, now that it was removed from the braids that had held it previously.

Catherine was enjoying herself too. Having stolen Danya's partner away, she was now making up new steps for him to follow, and both were laughing. Even her Master was out there, one of the Princess' handmaidens in his arms. The Princess did not dance, rather, she was seated with the same Councillor as earlier, and both were so busy concentrating on their conversation that they probably did not realise that anyone was dancing.

Despite herself, a tear fell down her cheek.

"Why are you crying?" The voice was familiar, and she pulled a tissue from her sleave, wiping the tear away before looking up, her eyes shining with amusement.

"I am not crying", she said, her tone dripping irony. Jester sat down next to her, taking up her small hand in his, and smiled. For a few moments neither spoke, simply content to watch the proceedings in silence.

"So, little Jedi, why are you hiding here in the shadows?" He was older than she remembered him, and although the twinkle remained in his eyes, for the first time she realised that he was an adult by the standards of most worlds. His uniform made him appear mature, and she wondered if that was an illusion.

She did not answer him, preferring instead to simply shrug. He grinned down at her.

"You really did sing well earlier", he said.

"I never sang, that was Tamira." Her eyes never left the sight of Axe and Tamira dancing close under the glittering lights of the hall. 

"Tamira could never have sang that well. Her voice sounds completely different. Besides, she lacks your talent for composition." For a moment he looked confused by the expression on her face, before thinking over the situation and remembering.

'Betrayed by a song', she thought, before giving in. 

"So you figured it out. I wonder if anyone else saw through my disguise," she sighed aloud, not sure what to say.

"Probably not. It was very good. If you hadn't opened your big mouth I doubt I would have noticed." Jester gave her a friendly knock on the shoulder. He stood. "So, do you want to dance or are you just going to sit here and mope?"

She smiled at him, and placed her hand in his, standing and pretending not to notice that she was not even as tall as his chest. 

They moved about the dance floor together, and for once Hikari-No actually felt graceful. The Force swirled around them, and she delighted in the touch of it, even as she moved in time to the music. She knew instinctively how to step, where to place her feet, and a smile crossed her face. Jester laughed down at her, and she was happy.

The sun over Domus Prime dawned bright the next day, and Hikari-No sat on the balcony of their apartments in the palace watching, enjoying the warmth and the magic that remained from last night's dream.

She had already packed her things, the lightsaber still in her Master's possession, and her bag almost too light. There would be no one to see them off this time, but that was all right, because Catherine had already promised to keep in touch, and Jester had returned to his ship after their one dance. Tamira's uncle had stolen her away again not long afterwards, and Hikari-No had retired to go to bed some time after that.

They would leave once her Master was awake. Until then, Hikari-No would add the finishing touches to her report for Master Genki.

When the assignment was given back to Hikari-No, it was dropped off at her rooms whilst she was sending a message to Catherine on Domus Prime. When she returned, she recognised the datapad immediately, for she had placed her signature symbol on it: a small spiral with a line crossing it. Although she had been gifted with the signature a long time ago, one day she would choose her own, something that actually felt appropriate to her.

There was a small note attached to it, telling her that Master Genki's assistant would have given her full marks if this had been a true assessment. Most of her studies were not marked by her teacher, because he had other concerns, and not enough time to be struggling to understand the work of his most accomplished pupil. The assistant also added that perhaps she could have learned more about the alternative religion of Domus Prime, about it's hierarchy and structure, rather than just it's way of applying the Force. 

The final note could only have come from Master Genki's own hand:

Hikari-No,  
Although your report is very factual and detailed, perhaps it would have been better if you had given more detail about the people that you met. If you have a spare moment after class one day, I'd love to hear from you in detail about the dance, and the friends that I feel you must have made on Domus Prime.  
Master Genki

It was just like him to be worried about her, despite the fact that she had made peace with a number of the Padawans in her class recently. Still, she smiled, it was his concern for all the students that made Master Genki one of the best teachers that the Temple had to offer. She would talk to him tomorrow, but for now, she had a lesson in lightsaber fighting to attend. 

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter Five

"For as long as there has been life in our galaxy, there have been the Sailor Senshi watching over it. For every species and planet, there has been a protector, the female warrior who ruled over and was loved by her people.

"The original Sailor Senshi were chosen by the spirits of the planets to be their avatars, and in return for the honour and power bestowed on them, they took the planet's name as their own. From mother to daughter, the duty of protecting life in the galaxy was passed down across the generations, and all known life was at peace.

"Watching over the Senshi was the Queen of the Sapphire Millennium. Beautiful and wise, her planet of Coruscant was the center of learning and power throughout the galaxy, even as it is today. The Queen was the overguardian of the Senshi, yet they served her, using their powers to protect her even as they shielded the people of the galaxy from the evils that have always threatened life.

"Coruscant was the only planet without a Senshi, though it hosted the training academy where each of the soldiers was required to study. It had been said by some that the planet could not choose an avatar for it's powers, whilst others believed that she existed in secrecy, the true Queen of the night. Despite this, the planet of Coruscant was well looked after by the other Sailor Senshi, and many believed that there would one day be a Sailor Coruscant.

"It was a time of peace and serenity, until the end of the First Age, and the dawning of the Second, which became known as the Age of Chaos even as the First Age had been the Age of Calm."  


- From Book One of the Song of Ages, Mau.

"Wow, he's really cute", *Star Fallus whispered to Hikari-No whilst Master Haruna's back was turned. And she was probably correct. The new student was rather nice to look at, with short blond hair, and green eyes that shone slightly. He was dressed just like every other student in the class, but Hikari-No knew that there was something different about him. 

Master Haruna finished writing a few notes in her book, before turning to the expectant class. "This is Ura-Giri Koibito. He was being trained by Master Kuso on Ishta Three until his Master died in that terrible accident, and so Ura-Giri is now here to finish his tuition." She nodded her head sadly, and *Star silently whispered to Hikari-No that Master Haruna had probably had a crush on Master Kuso. Master Haruna tossed her head, her red hair making a swishing sound over her robe before continuing. "Because there is no Master available to take him as a Padawan, I would appreciate it if one of you would agree to tutor Ura-Giri until he is up to the same standard as the rest of this class. And since you are all good students, wiling to help out anyone in need, I will let him choose his tutor."

Ura-Giri's striking green eyes passed over the class, and Hikari-No heard *Star's whispered thoughts asking the Force to allow him to pick her. *Star was a good girl, and she was Hikari-No's closest friend in the Temple. Unfortunately, she was also rather obsessed with finding the perfect boyfriend. Her first response to any guy would be that he was "incredibly cute", and she would then gush over him for a week.

Hikari-No sighed, wondering why she wanted Ura-Giri to pick her. After all, he never would. She was the youngest girl in the group, at fourteen she was a year younger than anyone else in the class, but she still was able to achieve perfect scores in most of her work. *Star was fifteen, but unlike some of the others, she was content to never mention such things to Hikari-No. Not only that, but compared to the other students she was amazingly plain, nothing about her brown hair and blue eyes was distinguishing, especially when compared with the looks of Yu-Rei or Nichibotsu. 

Actually, the only real feature that marked her from the others would be her braid, which had more links than any human her age had ever achieved. Not that the Masters had told Hikari-No. She had found out on her own, but that was what happened when a person had to study alone. Because *Star would never study unless it was necessary, preferring instead to practice fighting, or to play those holocron games that were so popular.

But for all her faults *Star was a good person, and a loyal friend. She had expressive eyes that Hikari-No could read from experience, which changed from a soft grey when she was content to a shadowed purple colour when she became upset. If one believed the stories that she told, *Star Fallus was a member of the ruling family of Durillion, which was a prosperous planet relatively close to Coruscant. To be sure, *Star did exchange messages frequently with a number of people there, but somehow Hikari-No found it hard to believe that her uncoordinated friend could be royalty. Though she had little personal experience, Hikari-No knew for a fact that all royalty should be graceful and smart, hardworking, with their responsibilities always in perspective. Perhaps that was why *Star had been sent to become a Jedi, because although she was powerful with the Force, she still lacked the discipline that Hikari- No possessed, and she was more clumsy, being prone to trip over nothing at all. 

Someone once jokingly commented that *Star could handle anything but her own two feet, and *Star herself always said that if the Force wanted her to be able to walk properly, it wouldn't keep getting in her way. *Star's Master Kum-Kwat would often sigh over his Padawan's legendary clumsiness, but despite their frequent bickering, Hikari-No could see the respect and love that existed between teacher and student. He would go to any extreme for her, and Hikari-No wondered if *Star knew exactly what her Master would do for his Padawan. Master Kum-Kwat was highly respected by the other Jedi Masters, and he never seemed to mind that Hikari-No spent so much time with *Star, helping her with her studies and training together, but more commonly, wasting time playing games.

Hikari-No glanced over at *Star, and for a moment her vision was overlaid with another image. Even as she looked at her normal form, Hikari-No could see an older *Star, with longer hair that was more red than normal and no Padawan braid, and instead of being bent over a book, *Star was weeping. Her hands were clenched tightly and she was shaking, and Hikari-No could sense the emotion she was radiating, even though it was only a vision. She wondered if it was a true vision or just a possibility for the future. Such glimpses of the Force usually came for a purpose, and Hikari-No sighed, trying to find the message of her vision.

It was Master Haruna's voice that startled her out of her trance. With a gasp, Hikari-No looked up, wondering what had happened. The new student, Ura-Giri was looking at her and smiling, and Master Haruna was standing with her hands on her hips, shaking her head in disappointment. 

'What did I miss?' she quickly thought at *Star, her eyes never leaving Master Haruna's face. The soft giggle from the seat next to her nearly gave away their whispering, and Hikari-No had to resist an urge to turn and frown at her friend.

'He just picked you, of all people, and Master H just asked if you are willing to tutor him.' Ura-Giri had picked Hikari-No Miko to be his tutor? It seemed too wonderful to be true. But there was probably a negative side to this arrangement. He was probably an idiot, with little experience in using the Force. But still, he was nice looking, and there was something addictive about watching that smile of his. 

"Of course I am", Hikari-No snapped aloud before realising what she had done and blushing deeply, glancing back down at her book and hoping that Master Haruna would be forgiving of her rudeness. Fortunately, the Jedi Master appeared to be in a good mood, and so decided to overlook Hikari-No's rare slip. 

"Well then, that's settled. After class, you will take Ura-Giri and show him around the Temple, making sure he gets the grand tour and answering his questions. And from tomorrow, you will tutor him until he catches up with the rest of this class." Master Haruna made a small dismissive gesture to Ura-Giri, who took an empty seat at the front of the classroom. "And now, it is time we got to work. *Star, why don't you read out the opening paragraph from the essay you had to write for me last night?" 

*Star looked around worriedly, before stammering, "Essay?" 

Hikari-No smiled slightly. It seemed that not even the arrival of a new student could disrupt the normal flow of study in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. 

Later, when the class was dismissed, Ura-Giri walked over to where Hikari-No and *Star were gathering their things and preparing to leave. Almost all of the other Padawans had left, and the two girls were deep in conversation. *Star tripped over as she tried to replace her chair under her desk, and it was Ura-Giri who steadied her, causing a blush to instantly appear on *Star's pale cheeks. 

"Thank you", she murmured, embarrassed. 

Ura-Giri smiled at both girls, before turning to Hikari-No. "I do not believe Master Haruna told me your name. Would you please do me the honour?" 

Hikari-No was not used to such respect from any of the other Padawans, and so she looked down at her feet. "I am Hikari-No Miko", she said respectfully, "and this is my friend, *Star Fallus", she added hastily after a quick mental prod. 

"Well then, Little Miko, I suggest it would be best if we did as Master Haruna said and you show me all the places in this Temple where I will be required to spend my time. Your friend *Star can join us if she wishes." He gave her a quick nod, and *Star blushed, raising a hand to behind her head and giggling slightly. 

"I have to get back to Master Kum-Kwat. He's decided that I need to work on my cooking skills, and the last time that happened we had to evacuate the Temple until the fire-control droids got to work." Realising what she had just said, *Star blushed deeply, but Ura-Giri only laughed softly. *Star picked up the last of her books and rushed from the room with a wave. 

"Do not forget to write that essay for Master Haruna", Hikari-No called after her friend's retreating form. 

In reply, *Star sent back one thought, not yelling aloud because that was against the rules. 'You are so lucky', she told Hikari-No, who only smiled in response. 

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence after *Star left, in which Hikari-No did not dare to meet Ura-Giri's stare. Finally, it was he who spoke. 

"Shall we leave then?" 

Hikari-No looked up. "Where exactly did you want to go? There is much to be seen in the Temple." Her hand reached up to her Padawan braid, and she fingered it thoughtfully, noticing Ura-Giri's own blond one hanging over his right shoulder. 

"I do not know what to suggest. I have only been here a few days, and all I have really seen is my quarters and the Council Spire. It took me half an hour to find this room today, and so I would simply be grateful if you can show me any place here that is not so intimidating." Hikari-No realised that Ura-Giri had a great sense of humour, and so smiled up at the taller Padawan. 

"Very well. I have some chores to do this afternoon, and if you do not mind having to follow me around?" She left the question up in the air, and he nodded at her. "Come along then." 

The first place to which Hikari-No lead Ura-Giri was the communications center on one of the lower floors. There were other people using the sophisticated equipment to contact friends and family across the galaxy, speaking in low voices, but Hikari-No had come simply to send a message, a short note informing Catherine of what was taking place in her life. She did not speak to any of the other people there, instead walking straight up to an unused terminal and inserting a small device. Ura-Giri watched silently as Hikari-No input her security codes and transmitted the message to Domus Prime.

The screen she was facing flashed for a second and Hikari-No blinked her surprise. It seemed that Catherine had anticipated her actions once again. Keenly aware that Ura-Giri was observing her movements she quickly made a copy of the letter to view later, before pocketing her device and turning to take him away from the area.

"Who was that message from?" Ura-Giri asked politely, making a small gesture towards her bag. 

Hikari-No answered him softly, "My best friend". 

Ura-Giri paused a moment, wondering about *Star. "And she does not live on Coruscant then?" 

"She lives on Domus Prime, a beautiful world that is far away from here, though not so far with a working hyperdrive", Hikari-No smiled briefly, before sighing, wishing for something that she could never have. 

"Is she a Jedi Knight then?" Ura-Giri was genuinely interested, and Hikari-No felt a sudden rush of sympathy for the lonely Padawan without a Master. 

"No, she is not a Jedi. Catherine is a princess, and she will one day be Queen of Domus Prime." After hearing it so many times, Hikari-No had come to believe in Catherine's dream. They still spoke occasionally, when circumstances allowed, and Hikari-No did her best to remember to send Catherine a message at least once a week, though Catherine was hardly as diligent in replying. 

"Tell me about your Master", Hikari-No said softly, as they walked along one of the balconies that surrounded the Temple, looking out at the glittering city. High above most of the neighbouring buildings, they watched together as the sun slowly started to sink below the horizon, and the lines of speeders and other vehicles making their way home amongst the eternal city. 

"Master Kuso was a good man", Ura-Giri answered after a long moment of silence, "and a great Jedi. He taught me much, and I miss him still." 

Hikari-No realised then that he did not wish to speak about his Master, although she wondered that he called his Master by name, rather than a more affectionate term. 

She pushed a stray line of hair back behind her ear before speaking again. 

"Are you checked out for a speeder yet?" She blinked as below them a single vehicle left the main garage bearing the markings of a student driver. Ura-Giri smiled at her. 

"No, they said I will be in about a week or so." 

"Then it will be up to me to show you Coruscant before then." Hikari-No had passed her speeder qualifications two months ago, and, provided she kept her grades up, was able to have the use of a speeder during any time that was not taken by her studies. Which was precious little as it was. 

"I'd like that", he smiled. 

Hikari-No sighed again, before turning and starting back into the Temple. Ura- Giri wondered at her strange behaviour but said nothing, folding his arms inside his robe and following her. 

"This is the main Padawan gymnasium", Hikari-No said. "It is where we do most of our training, especially for combat." 

She made a wide gesture around the room, and Ura-Giri took note of the thick matting covering large sections of the floor, and mirrors on most of the walls. A number of people were fighting practice duels at the back of the gymnasium, using practice lightsabers rather than real ones. A girl of about eighteen caught Ura-Giri's eye as he watched her practice a complicated routine of movements that included high leaps and kicking motions. 

While he was distracted, a Jedi in full robes came up to Hikari-No. She bowed to him, before righting herself and turning to her companion, who was still staring with a lopsided smile at the girl at the back of the room. Hikari-No used the Force to knock Ura-Giri off balance, demanding his attention. 

"Ura-Giri, this is Jedi Heiwa, who is in charge of the gym here and is also our teacher in the ways of fighting. Jedi Heiwa, this is Ura-Giri Koibito, formerly the Padawan of Master Kuso." 

Jedi Heiwa nodded at Ura-Giri, pausing to look him over, noticing the lightsaber on his belt. "I would like to test your skill with that", he said, "but not today. Perhaps tomorrow." He turned his attention back to Hikari-No. 

"But I have something for you, Hikari-No." Jedi Heiwa bade her follow him into his office and both students obeyed. 

Amid the clutter of equipment and information, a desk was hidden in the darkness of Jedi Heiwa's office. Hikari-No knew from experience where it was, but Jedi Heiwa did not sit as she expected him to. Instead, he walked, or rather, climbed, over to the far side of the room where he opened a locked cupboard. From within its depths he withdrew a large stick, made of a clear plasglass substance, which was about a foot taller than Hikari-No. It was simple and unadorned by decoration, unlike many others that Hikari-No had seen previously. Jedi Heiwa passed the weapon over to the girl, who took it reverently, casting an eye over the fine work and gently fingering the smooth surface. She stepped back outside after looking to Jedi Heiwa for permission. 

Hikari-No held the staff out in front of her, moving her hands apart until it was properly balanced. She started by spinning the weapon, to get a feel for its movements and weight, slowly at first but gradually increasing the speed until she decided to actually give the weapon a proper test. Hikari-No closed her eyes and began a simple routine that Jedi Heiwa had taught her, swinging the staff at invisible opponents, using both offensive and defensive techniques. She added complexity by including a number of flips and turns before finishing with the staff in one hand and her other using her lightsaber. 

There was a moment of silence, before Hikari-No reopened her eyes to see Ura-Giri looking at her again, a new respect in his eyes. She replaced the lightsaber on her belt before turning back to Jedi Heiwa, passing over the staff. 

"Of such fine material, with perfect balance and weight for a man his size, this wonderful staff was created by Master Senso on Ishta two thousand years ago, unless I miss my guess." She smiled shyly, and Jedi Heiwa nodded. 

"You are never wrong, Hikari-No. But this is still not the one that you are looking for?" 

Hikari-No shook her head, blushing. "I will know it when I see the right one, believe me." 

Jedi Heiwa shrugged and went back into his office with little care for the staff, slamming the door behind him. 

"Well", she sighed, "I think that was our audience for today." She noticed the question in Ura-Giri's eyes and rolled her own in response, speaking with the air of one who had told her story many times before. "About four years ago, I had a dream that I knew was significant. One of the most important features in it was a crystal staff wielded by a warrior. When I awoke, I knew I had to find the staff. At the first opportunity, I told Jedi Heiwa, who is as interested in archaic weapons as I am. He has tried to help me locate the weapon from my dream, but we have found no record of it ever existing." Hikari-No shrugged, then brightened. "It must be nearly time to eat something. Would you like to come and meet my Master?" 

Ura-Giri thought about it for a moment. "Thank you, but I better not", he answered solemnly. "I have a lot of study to do tonight." 

Rather subdued by his refusal of her offer, Hikari-No escorted Ura-Giri back to his rooms in silence, where they parted company with a promise to actually study together the next day. 

That night, Hikari-No slept fitfully, her dreams plagued by screaming voices, but also silence, and a endless darkness that enclosed her. For a long time, Hikari-No felt that she could not use any of her senses, not even her Jedi ones, and terror overwhelmed the normally calm student. 

When she awoke, she remembered nothing of her nightmare, only the fear she had experienced, and she felt lethargic and more exhausted than when she went to sleep. 

The day passed uneventfully, and the most interesting thing that Hikari-No learned in class was that her nightmare seemed to have been widespread, causing most of the other students to be slower than normal, and Master Haruna to not even get upset when *Star announced that she had forgotten to complete the essay again. 

After a session in the library with Ura-Giri that afternoon, helping him with mathematics and basic politics, Hikari-No returned to her rooms only to find her Master out assisting the Council in their meditations again. It seemed as if he spent more time with them than teaching her these days. 

She ate alone and stayed awake late working on her studies, unconsciously trying to avoid sleeping and the possibility of dreaming the same nightmare as the previous night. Finally, tiredness overcame Hikari-No, and she fell asleep at the table where she was studying. 

Once again Hikari-No dreamed of being trapped in darkness, but this time the dream was different. She could sense that there was someone else in the room with her, and that they were calling out her name. But every time she turned around, the person would disappear before she could see her, as if the darkness itself was fighting back against this intrusion. Finally, she sat down and tried to meditate, hoping that whoever was trying to contact her in her dreams would be able to find her there. 

Again she heard the voice calling her, but this time she noticed that there was a strange echo to the voice, almost as if there were many people summoning her. Rather than feeling terror at such a strange circumstance, Hikari-No opened her eyes cautiously to see a glowing figure standing before her. 

The woman was taller than her, and her features continuously shifted as if she could not decide how she wanted to look. Her dress was long and plain, falling to the ground without any ornamentation save for a large bow at the back. The dress itself kept changing colours in a almost hypnotic pattern that Hikari-No could not predict. Keenly aware that she was staring, she looked away again, but not before noticing the one stable feature on the woman's face, a glowing crescent shape on her forehead. 

For a brief moment, Hikari-No was afraid, and reached for her lightsaber to find that it was not there. The woman bowed to her, then spoke, the echoing sound of her voice confusing the girl. 

"I have been searching for you for a long time, Hikari-No." 

Hikari-No blinked in surprise, both at the woman's use of her name and at her announcement that she had been looking for her. She tried to form the words to ask why this strange woman would have wanted to search for her, but no sound came. 

"A terrible evil has started attacking your world, Hikari-No, and you are the only one who can save it." The woman's voice was distant. 

"Me? What could I do? I am just a Jedi Padawan, and one of the Masters would better suit your purposes. Perhaps you have made a mistake." Hikari-No turned away, beginning to wonder if she would prefer her nightmare. 

"The guardians of Mau do not make mistakes." She bowed to Hikari-No, "You may call me Palomene. And you are the one we have been searching for. You are the only one who can save your friends." 

Hikari-No shook her head. "My friends?" 

"They are in grave danger, as is everyone who is asleep in the Temple right now. For now we are protecting you, but that cannot last. You must fight the Dark Kingdom, or they will win again." 

Hikari-No found so many questions crowding into her brain that she could not decide which to ask. Finally, she chose one purely because it seemed more obvious than the others. "How do you expect me to fight something that the Jedi Masters cannot?" 

Instead of speaking, the woman placed something in Hikari-No's hand. It was a locket, about the size of the palm of Hikari-No's hand, on a silver chain. The locket itself was made from a material of deepest blue, and had a strange symbol carved onto it: a black circle over a white heart. At the center, five gemstones were embedded into the ebony as if the five points of a star. 

"What is this?" she asked, gently fingering the piece of jewellery. 

"It is your birthright. This locket once belonged to your mother, and her mother before her." Hikari-No looked up, shocked. 

"How could you know my mother?" Hikari-No herself could not remember her mother, having spent her entire life at the Jedi Temple. No one at the Temple knew anything about her family either, because Hikari-No had simply been left as a baby, without any information about her family or even her real name. The Council had been the ones to name her, and although she was happy as a Jedi Padawan, sometimes Hikari-No wished that she had a real family, like some of the other students. 

"I have known your family for a long time. Place the locket around your neck, Hikari-No, it will help you." As Hikari-No did so, Palomene's image wavered for a moment, and she looked away in fright, the emotion changing the shape of her face. 

"They grow stronger", she murmured. 

Hikari-No felt a shift in the Force around her, and suddenly she could hear *Star calling out for help. "What is happening?" she asked of Palomene. 

"The Dark Kingdom is draining the energy of everyone in the Temple. Soon, many will not be able to go on fighting, and they will die." 

"Then we have to stop them." Hikari-No nodded fiercely, not knowing why she suddenly felt so unafraid. Despite herself, she still believed that this was all a dream. "Who are the Dark Kingdom?" 

"There is no time for answers now. You must go, or it will be too late." 

Palomene disappeared suddenly, and Hikari-No looked around her, disconcerted for a moment, before a bright light surrounded her and she was jerked to consciousness. 

When she opened her eyes and looked at the timepiece, Hikari-No realised that it was still late. Her Master was still not back from wherever the Council had sent him. Dimly, she wondered if she would be able to go back to sleep before morning. It was then that she reached a hand up to her neck, and felt the chain that now encircled it. 

"That's impossible", she whispered, trying to calm herself. But the chain was there, as was the locket, and Hikari-No suddenly wondered if she was going insane. But if the locket was real, then perhaps the rest of her dream was true too. She sent out a searching thought, and was not very surprised when she sensed a malevolent form penetrating the Temple. Sudden fear pierced her heart. 

'Now what?' she thought, more to herself than anything else. She tried to remember the rest of what Palomene had told her, but could not find anything of importance. 

'Hikari-No, you must fight', Palomene's voice came to her as if from a distance, without the clarity of earlier. Though she looked around her, it seemed as if Palomene would or could not project her image into her room. 

'But I do not know how', Hikari-No's distress was consuming her. 

'You are the one who has been chosen to be Sailor Coruscant, the sailor-suited warrior of love and justice. It is your destiny.' 

'I am not a warrior, and why would you call me by such a strange name?' 

'Because, you are the last hope these people have, and you are the only one who can be Sailor Coruscant.' There was a moment of silence. 'You still do not believe me, do you?' 

'I am afraid that I do not', Hikari-No leaned back against the wall, trying to understand what was going on. 

'Then place your hand on the locket, and say "Coruscant Power, Make-Up".' 

Hikari-No shrugged. What difference would it make? This was probably just another strange dream. "Coruscant Power, Make-Up!" she called out, with more force than she intended. 

Suddenly something strange seemed to happen to her. Though she was used to feeling the Force surrounding her body and flowing through her, all of a sudden she felt as if her entire body had no more substance than the void of space, as if she was made of light itself. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see what was taking place. Everything was changing, and when she opened her eyes a moment later, it was as if she was stronger, and more in tune with the Force than ever before. But it was not only her body that had changed. 

She was now dressed in a white body suit, closely fitting and not her normal style. A short black skirt that revealed entirely too much of her legs drew her attention, then the collar of the same colour. At the bottom of her collar was a large bow of purple ribbon, and she knew without looking that another one was on her back. The gloves she now wore were white, with a blue cuff at the elbows, the same colour as the boots that stretched up to her knees. The boots had spiked heels, and Hikari-No took an experimental step to see if she could really walk in them. Her hair was unbound, and she pushed it back from her forehead where it was obstructing her vision. She felt something unfamiliar there, and tried to remember. The tiara would be made of silver, and Hikari-No suspected that the symbol etched onto it would be the same one as on her locket. Just like in her vision on Domus Prime. 

'What has happened?' she asked frantically, looking herself over in shock and trying to understand. 

'You are now the Sailor Senshi, Sailor Coruscant. Now, you have to go and defeat the creature that is attacking the Temple.' 

Hikari-No reached for her lightsaber, only to realise that it she was no longer wearing it. For a moment, she thought that she would faint, then her common sense reasserted itself. 'How can I fight without my lightsaber?' 

'When you need it, you will find a weapon with which to combat the Dark Kingdom. For now, we must go to the top of the gymnasium, it is there that the creature is exercising it's power over the dreams of the Jedi.' Palomene was not telling Hikari-No the full truth, of that she was certain, but she did not stop to ask, because again she heard *Star's cries of pain through the Force. 

Without realising what she was doing, Sailor Coruscant was outside her rooms, and running through the seemingly deserted Temple. 

At the top of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, twelve Jedi Masters sat in meditation. For two days they had neither moved nor shown any sign of consciousness. To any who would have looked, the old Masters were simply asleep, but their minds were closely monitoring what was taking place around them, aware of their own inability to act against the evil that was presenting itself. 

As though on a prearranged signal, they all opened their eyes at once, glancing around the room and taking in anew their surroundings. For some, shock showed openly on their faces, whilst others were more used to hiding their emotions. After a long moment of silence, one looked up and spoke the words that all were thinking. 

"It has begun." 

Sailor Coruscant paused, realising for the first time that a number of students had been training in the gymnasium when the creature began its attack. She could sense their inert forms lying asleep on the floor in uncomfortable positions, their energy slowly leaving their bodies, and their minds filled with nightmares of terrifying imagery. *Star was among them. Sailor Coruscant sensed the creature before she first saw it, the waves of malevolence oozing from its being worrying her almost as much as its strange manipulation of the Dark Side of the Force. 

When she looked from her concealed position, she saw that the minion of the Dark Kingdom was unlike any species she had ever known. It was clearly female, but with blue skin and feline eyes. The red antennae it possessed matched the highly revealing clothes she wore, and her fangs seemed to be dripping with saliva. When it stood up, Sailor Coruscant realised that it was close to twice her size. 

"So much energy for our queen", she murmured gleefully. "She will be pleased." 

Sailor Coruscant stored this information for later reference as she tried to come up with a plan that would allow her to defeat this monster. Perhaps if she distracted it, she would be able to get in close enough to cause some damage, though she held little hope of actually winning in this battle. At least not without her lightsaber. Palomene had been silent since she had left her rooms, and though she called out to her, there was no answer. 

Finally, she saw no reason to delay any further, so she stepped out from her hiding spot to demand the creature's attention. 

"The dreams of these Jedi are precious gifts from the Force, but you have been tampering with them", Sailor Coruscant taunted, not knowing what she was doing, and asking the Force for guidance as she stumbled to silence, "For that, I will punish you." 

"And who are you to be challenging the Dark Kingdom?" the creature demanded, rising to it's full height even as Sailor Coruscant moved from the shadows. 

She thought about it for a moment, before mentally shrugging. "I am the Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Coruscant." 

Before the monster had a chance to respond, Sailor Coruscant started running at her, leaping into the air and jumping over the bodies that marred her path. She was not using the Force to augment her leap, but she was still able to go much higher than normally. She shook her head, focussing only on the creature, at whom she launched a vicious attack sequence. 

Unfortunately, it seemed that the creature had abilities that she could not have expected, for the creature was able to block every movement, and then attacked back, it's long arms and legs landing painfully against Sailor Coruscant, who fell to the ground. For a moment the creature seemed to gloat, before Sailor Coruscant sensed it starting to channel the Dark Side of the Force into it's hands and shooting bolts of fire at her. 

Feeling battered, she was able to dodge the first three, before the fourth scratched her right arm, causing it to flare up in pain. She felt dizzy and completely disorientated, before seeing *Star's body on the ground nearby. The sight of her friend looking as if she was dead gave Sailor Coruscant the energy she needed to stand, and she pushed herself up even as the creature's back was turned. It seemed to have forgotten about her as quickly as it had attacked, perhaps believing that she was dead. 

It was in that instant that Sailor Coruscant realised how she could fight back. The knowledge came from deep within her, perhaps from the Force, but then again, perhaps Palomene had been able to implant the information in her mind whilst they were still able to talk. 

Sailor Coruscant brought her hands together before her chest, the movement instinctive and without conscious action. She closed her eyes, trying to find her focus. She felt it then, a tingling in the Force, concentrated between her hands. The tingling sensation grew, as she focussed her thoughts on the small collection of energy. She opened her eyes again, and they glistened with an eerie blue that seemed to echo with light that was beginning to shine from between her fingers. Slowly, she drew her hands apart, the faint glimmering of blue light forming a glowing ball of energy as she realised that she could feed her own energy into it. 

Blue eyes looked up, and met those of the creature. A fierce determination swept over her, and for the first time the creature actually looked afraid. Sailor Coruscant blinked, once, before throwing her arms out and screaming the words that would give the attack more power. 

"Force Blast." The ball of glowing energy shot from her hands, headed straight for the creature. It screamed then, but she did not move, watching as it was torn to pieces by the terrible power that she commanded. The room was filled with an awesome blue light that consumed everything, and when it faded and her eyesight returned to normal, there was nothing left of the terrible creature. 

As it had died, most of the energy it had collected had been returned to the people on the floor, who were now beginning to wake up. She stood still, fascinated by the destruction she had wrought as she eradicated the creature that had attacked the people. She had destroyed the creature. She had removed it from the Force. She had broken every promise she had ever made to respect the life of every living being, sentient or no. 

She turned away from the scene, feeling ill. 

Behind her, *Star stood up unsteadily, and Sailor Coruscant rushed over to help her, feeling a little apprehensive. But it seemed that she did not recognise the Sailor Senshi as her friend Hikari-No, for *Star merely thanked her, her eyes showing admiration but nothing more. 

When she was certain that *Star would be fine, she quickly left the scene without speaking to anyone, making her way back to her rooms. There was still no one in the corridors, and Sailor Coruscant was thankful of that. When the door closed behind her, she wondered if she would be able to change her clothes back to normal, and reached a hand up to her locket, fingering it gently. 

There was a soft flash of light, and Hikari-No realised that she was herself once again, and very exhausted at that. She blinked her surprise, and tried to call out to Palomene. 

'Now will you explain all this to me?' she asked of the Force, hoping that Palomene would hear her. 

'There will be time enough for explanations tomorrow. For now, you need your rest.' Try as she did, Hikari-No could not trace Palomene's thought. 'Thank you for what you have done this night.' Then she was gone, and Hikari-No was alone once more. 

She thought that she would never be able to sleep, not after what had taken place that night, but instead the moment she lay down a comforting darkness overtook her, and she slept until morning without dreams. 

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter Six

"The Second Age was short and brutal, the Age of fire and betrayal. It began with the invasion of the Dark Queen, who challenged the power of the Senshi as she enslaved the people of the galaxy. Many fell as they tried to stop her path towards Coruscant, and many more died in that final battle. It was only upon the Dark Queen's arrival at the fabled glittering city that our Queen truly understood the evil that had gathered there.

"The Queen's daughter and heir was one of the first to disappear, never to be seen again. Throughout the years that followed, the fates of most of the lost became clear, however, no trace of the princess was ever found. In her grief at her daughter's apparent death, the Queen raised her Crystal Staff, and invoked the power of the Mystical Sapphire Crystal, a talisman of ultimate good, capable of great works of power.

"She destroyed the Dark Queen's power systematically, until there was not one of her minions left alive. The path of invasion was blocked, and the evil sealed away. The Dark Queen would never again return to our galaxy, and her evil would never again touch the lives of our people.

"However, the Queen's use of the Crystal had drained her of her life energy, and she fell and died, both the Crystal and her staff disappearing before her lifeless body hit the ground. Neither were ever seen by mortal eyes again.

"The loss of the Queen demoralised the few remaining Senshi, and they renounced their powers, each returning to their planet of origin to try and come to terms with their grief and remorse.

"Many travelled different paths, but there were some who blamed the Queen's loss on themselves, and took their own lives. Some returned to their previous studies, whilst others went on to build the foundations of what is now known as the Galactic Republic. Of all of the survivors, only one left any record for future generations: Sailor Tatooine, who founded the Jedi Order."  


- From the Second Book of the Song of Ages, Mau.

When Hikari-No awoke the next morning, there was a sour taste in her mouth, and in the mirror her eyes seemed grey and depressed. For one long moment, she felt that the previous night's events had been nothing more than a dream, until she noticed the new weight of the locket around her neck. There was something instantly comforting about the strange symbol on the locket, as if she had seen it before, even though she never had. She was calm then, and went to have some breakfast.

She had no classes this day, for even the Jedi realised that not everyone could work everyday without time to rest. Normally she would spend her time studying, and yet somehow Hikari-No realised that she would spend most of this day trying to sort out the confusion in her mind. She had so many questions, and above all else, she wanted to believe that nothing had changed.

There was a note from her Master on the table, saying that he was once again off with the Council. Hikari-No wondered briefly if anyone had warned her Master that when the Council starts letting someone attend most of their sessions, there would soon be a new position available. There were a number of seats on the Council that were not lifetime positions, merely held for as long as the member wanted it. If one of them wanted to return to active work, they could just give up their place at any time, but would generally wait until there was an appropriate replacement ready.

She sighed. This would be a good thing for him, but what would happen to her? Would she just be shunted off to some other Master? Or maybe she would not need another Master, maybe they would allow her to finish off the rest of her Padawan studies on her own? Then again, she was probably overreacting. Nothing had been announced yet, and maybe nothing ever would. Maybe the Council just wanted to have her Master around to help them out occasionally.

Maybe.

She looked over at her reflection in the mirror, and wondered at what she saw. Who was that girl staring back at her? Not the same one as had been there the previous day, that was for certain. Although she looked the same as before, her eyes no longer seemed quite as bright as they used to be, there was a darkness in them that had only appeared since the day before.

She had killed something last night, and that had changed everything. And no matter what she did, that look on the creature's face before she had destroyed it tore at her heart, convincing her that she had made a terrible mistake, that the power that she wielded was evil, and that last night she had probably utilised the Dark Side of the Force to kill.

'Do not look at it that way', Palomene's thought came to her, 'You saved the lives of those Jedi who you were fighting for. What is more important, the life of one creature that was created solely to kill, or many who will fight so that others may live?'

Although Hikari-No was again awed at the ease with which Palomene had been able to penetrate her mental shielding, she was too confused to question the voice in her mind. "It still feels wrong", she murmured aloud.

'You were fighting in defence, not attacking. Nothing you did was against the Code, and you know that.' Not for the first time, Hikari-No wished that Palomene was really present, someone to talk to face to face. 

She wondered if she could go and speak to *Star about this. Surely telling her best friend would not be so bad? She needed someone who understood to tell her that everything would be alright.

'You can never tell anyone about your being Sailor Coruscant. If the enemy found out it could put her life in danger.'

'But *Star is a Padawan too. Surely she can take care of herself?', she rolled her eyes at the thought of *Star dressed up in a Sailor costume like her own. *Star had enough trouble trying to take care of that pet of hers, let alone fighting evil creatures trying to kill her. 

Palomene knew that Hikari-No understood the prohibition, yet she still added one further comment. 'You will not be able to tell your Master either.'

'He will know who I am the moment I stand in a room with him. No foolish costume could disguise me as someone I am not.'

It seemed as if Palomene had an answer for every question that Hikari-No asked. 'The power that makes you Sailor Coruscant ensures that anyone who sees you will never recognise you. Not matter how close that person is to you. All they will see is the Sailor-suited warrior of love and justice.'

Hikari-No shook her head, wondering how this scene would look to anyone who would be watching her talk with the voice in her head. She pondered whether or not she was going mad for a time, until she realised that in her silence Palomene was laughing at her. 'And why do you keep calling me that? It is a bit of a mouthful and I do have a name.'

'I know. Hikari-No Miko. In the old language it means "The Priestess of Light", rather appropriate, although "Princess" would have been a better choice.'

'What?' Hikari-No was confused, and she knew that somewhere Palomene was smiling. Though she tried to trace her thought back to wherever Palomene really was, some sort of distortion prevented her farseeking Palomene properly. It was probably deliberate too, which explained why she always sounded so smugly superior, because she knew that Hikari-No could not track her down. 'One day you will understand', Palomene said cryptically.

'I hate when people say that', Hikari-No muttered sourly, even as she stood to clean up what she had failed to finish of her breakfast.

'I know.' 

'So, do you want to explain all this, or am I supposed to figure it out on my own?' Hikari-No asked a while later, when she was sitting out on the balcony of her room looking out at the still-awakening cityscape before her.

'Explain what? I thought I did a good enough job last night.'

'Everything. You explained things really well, you just missed out on a few little details, like what exactly a Sailor Senshi is, why I have not heard of them before, who or what is the Dark Kingdom and what do they want? And more importantly, why were they trying to kill everyone in the Temple last night?' Palomene's short answers to every question Hikari-No asked was starting to frustrate her. How would she ever learn to control and use her powers if this 'Guardian' would not even explain what they were?

'Calm down, little Jedi', Hikari-No knew that Palomene was teasing her, 'Anger leads to the Dark Side, you know.' She was teasing Hikari-No, and not too kindly either. 'I will tell you a story then, shall I?'

Hikari-No nodded, not trusting herself to even think. Palomene sighed slightly, and then she appeared before Hikari-No, although the Jedi knew that it was just a projection, with no real substance. Her dress shimmered in many colours, as did her eyes. 'I hope you know what this is costing me.

'A long time ago, before the Jedi, before the Republic, there was the Kingdom. The Kingdom was ruled by a beautiful Queen, who watched over the people of all worlds and used her magic to protect them. It was a time of peace and tranquillity.

'However, the Galaxy is a large place, and the Queen knew that it was too much for any one person to have complete control over. And so the Sailor Senshi came, one for each planet, girls born to special powers, each a queen in her own right. They oversaw their own planets, but served and protected the Queen of the Sapphire Millennium, who lived in a palace on Coruscant.'

Hikari-No interrupted the narrative. 'Special powers? Like what I did last night?' She did not really want to think about it, but Palomene was the only one who could answer her questions.

'A little. Each person's power was different, as unique as the planet from which it came. You see, the magic, the power, comes from the individual planet, a gift to it's protector. It takes a different form for each person, and how it has to be used. Most Senshi have elemental powers, influence over the air, water, the earth, or even the ability to conjure fire. So, the Sailor Senshi from Hoth would have completely different influence than the one from Naboo.'

'But it is all just manipulation of the Force?'

'It varies. In your case, the power does mainly come from the use of the Force, as you Jedi call it. But it is just one aspect of how the Senshi operate. Besides that, I don't even know very much about your skills. There has never been a Sailor Coruscant before.'

'There hasn't?' She was worried now, especially now that she realised Palomene did not have all the answers.

'There never was a need. There are some legends and prophecies, but nothing in detail about how to train Sailor Coruscant. I'm not sure why, it was probably just a mistake of the record keepers.'

'You are here to train me?'

'Of course. Why else would I keep telling you what to do?'

'I do not know. I suppose it makes sense, but I am busy enough training to be a Jedi. Are you sure you could not choose someone else for this job?'

'Maybe I didn't make it clear. I am not the one who makes the choice. Coruscant did.'

'Coruscant, the planet Coruscant? The one I am standing on right now, Coruscant?'

'The same.' There was something in her tone that made Hikari-No look up in surprise.

'But how is that possible? Surely the planet is not alive?'

'Not in any way that you would recognise life. But it has an awareness. You know, it might just be easier if you thought about Coruscant as being a part of the Force. The Force surrounds everything, including the planet, correct?' Hikari-No nodded, noting the suddenly serious expression on Palomene's face. 'And the Force acts upon everything, correct?' Another nod. 'Well then, let's just say that Coruscant has the ability to influence and manipulate the Force, enough to let me know that you are the chosen one. The one that the planet wants to be its protector. Its avatar, its Senshi. You have one purpose, and that is to protect Coruscant and its people.'

'I am to be a Jedi.' Palomene shook her head.

'That is not important. All that matters is the Search. If we find the Princess and are able to stop the Dark Kingdom, then you might be able to become a Jedi. But not before.'

'Who is the Princess? And why would do we need to find her?'

'For that, I must go back to my story. Alright, back in the Sapphire Millennium, the Queen had a daughter.'

'The Princess?'

'Yes. The Princess was the next Queen in training, the one who would rule over the Kingdom when her mother died. She was as fair as her mother, with long hair that flowed down to her knees, although she mostly wore it up in a particular hairstyle that was popular at the time. She was beautiful, with eyes as blue as yours and skin as pale as moonlight. The hopes of countless lives and species depended on her, and then the Dark Kingdom came.

'No one really knew from where they came, only that they were fierce warriors, determined to destroy all that was good in the Galaxy and enslave the populations of every world. No creature, no life would remain untouched by these people, and the realm of the Dark Queen stretched further with each Senshi she corrupted. Most she simply killed, but there were others that she turned to her will, eradicating free thought from them and making them follow her desires. No one ever saw the Dark Queen, yet no one escaped from her dominion unscathed.

'However, there was no warning. As they swept out from beyond the Outer Rim, the Dark Kingdom left no one who could alert the other systems. Many disappeared, some of the most beautiful worlds ever beheld. And it was only as they approached Coruscant at the center of the spiral that the Queen realised that her Kingdom had fallen apart.

'In the dead of the night, the Princess disappeared.'

'What do you mean, disappeared?' Palomene shrugged, carefully choosing her next words.

'No one ever saw her again. Most believe she died, as did the Queen, who went mad with grief. She raised the Sapphire Crystal-'

'The what?'

'The Sapphire Crystal. It is the other item we are searching for. A jewel of strange powers, that can grant the wishes of the one who possesses it, by amplifying the will and the innate strength of the keeper, the one who bears it. According to the legends, only the Queen of Coruscant and the Sapphire Millennium can harness its power without dying.'

'How very strange.'

'Indeed. The Queen raised the Sapphire Crystal, and caused the forces of the Dark Kingdom to disappear, but not before they destroyed her castle and much of the beauty of the planet. They were gone completely, the creatures, the leaders, all of them, but the amount of energy required to cast such a powerful spell had drained the Queen of her life-Force. She died on the steps of the Palace, her last words were to her Guardian, telling her that the Dark Kingdom had been "sealed away". Because the heir had disappeared, there was no one to take over as Queen of the Sapphire Millennium. The Queen's staff and the Crystal disappeared in a flash of light, and the remaining Senshi renounced their powers in disgust, saying that they no longer had anyone to protect. In time, the Kingdom was forgotten by all save the Guardians.'

'Your people.' Hikari-No was beginning to understand.

'Exactly. The Guardians of Mau are the only ones to have kept the knowledge alive. They wrote everything down, in the hope that one day, the Senshi would be found again, and the Sapphire Millennium recovered. There are a set of prophecies that tell of a time when the Kingdom is restored, after the Dark Kingdom returns to finish their task, and the signs all say that it will happen soon. Which is why I decided to find you.'

'Why me?'

'Of all the Senshi, Sailor Coruscant was the only one not present in the times before. The records state that she will only come into her power when the Kingdom is in its darkest hour, which I can only assume means now.'

'I think you place too much credence in these prophecies. I have heard many, and most are far too vague to mean anything, let alone be specific about what will happen in the future.'

'But this one describes you in detail, Hikari-No. I have known and watched over your family for many, many years. And the prophecy was correct, right down to telling me that I would find you at the Jedi Temple, and stating your name in full.'

'It is not that uncommon a name.'

'I can see that you are determined not to believe me. But you can rest assured, you are the right girl.'

'How could you know that?'

'Because you were able to use the power of the locket without dying.' The chill way that Palomene told Hikari-No that she could have died the previous day, and that Palomene would accepted it so calmly sent a shiver down Hikari-No's spine, and caused her to seriously consider throwing the locket off the balcony in disgust.

'Why me?' Hikari-No asked again.

'Because you are the one that Coruscant chose, and you are the only one.'

And with that, Palomene disappeared again, her shimmering form fading from Hikari-No's view, though she realised that the Guardian was still in communication with her mind.

"Hikari-No", the scream was loud, from outside the door to the apartment, causing her to jump. After a soft command, it opened, and *Star came in, calling again.

"I am on the balcony", Hikari-No told her, more softly than her friend would have done. But it was still fairly early, and many in the Temple would still be asleep.

*Star appeared, her familiar face a welcome respite from the insanity that seemed to have perverted Hikari-No's life over the past day.

"I'm going to the markets. Do you want to come?" The request was so commonplace that it nearly made Hikari-No cry. But instead she shook her head, and tried to find the words. She wanted more than anything to talk with her friend, and explain to her what was happening, but Palomene, gave her a mental prod that shook the girl.

"I am afraid I cannot. I have to study this morning." It was not a lie, exactly, just a bending of the truth.

*Star merely rolled her eyes. "You study too much, Hikari-No. You need to relax more, and come shopping. A reliable source told me that Ura-Giri will be at the markets this morning, and I thought maybe we could go and see if he needs any help with his purchases."

Somehow Hikari-No doubted that he would really be there. She knew that it was just a rumour *Star had heard and hoped to believe was true. Despite herself, Hikari-No smiled.

"Not today *Star. Besides, I see enough of him in class, not to mention all those tutoring sessions he has asked for. I have to keep ahead of him, and I would not want my grades to slip. What would happen then?" The sarcasm in her voice was deliberate, and *Star laughed, as Hikari-No had known she would.

"The day you fall behind our class is the day I get full marks in my final exams", *Star smiled, eyes flashing, "But I can see there is no turning you today. So we will have to go out together next rest day. After all, too much study leads to the Dark Side."

Hikari-No smiled back at *Star's favourite expression. "I think you are a little confused", she murmured, and she could hear Palomene's silent laughter.

"Perhaps. But we will see. For now, I must go, before all the bargains are snapped up." And with that, *Star whirled from the balcony in a swirl of cloak.

'So now what do we do?' Hikari-No asked of her invisible companion.

'We wait. Until we find out more about the Dark Kingdom, there is little we can do to stop them. We have to find the Princess and the Crystal before the Dark Kingdom does, but again, we know so little about them that we have no choice but to wait. And be patient. You would be used to that, being a Jedi and all.'

Hikari-No chose to ignore the insult, listening but not paying very much attention to what Palomene was saying. Something at the back of her mind was worrying her, a vague feeling of unease that seemed to permeate her entire being. 

'What's wrong?' Palomene was there at her side again, her shimmering form seeming to be little more than the sunlight dancing across the balcony.

Hikari-No did not answer, sending her thought out through the Temple, and beyond to where the markets were located a few streets away. She could suddenly sense a vast malevolence, spreading out from the stalls and stands, and amongst them, the cry of a friend in need. 

"*Star", she whispered softly, not knowing what to do.

Palomene suddenly looked up in surprise. 'The Dark Kingdom is attacking again. You have to stop them.'

"Yes. I know", Hikari-No reached her hand up to her locket, but then thought better of it and removed her lightsaber from her belt, placing it with care on the floor. Palomene looked at her in confusion, but Hikari-No did not notice. She called out the transformation phrase, and once again her body seemed to fall away, to be replaced with something stronger, more real.

Sailor Coruscant picked up the lightsaber, not activating it, but holding it in her hand at the ready anyway.

'You know you won't need that', Palomene told her, more kindly than anything else she had said.

"It's a Jedi thing", Sailor Coruscant said, "I am taking it with me."

'As you wish.'

Sailor Coruscant turned to go back into the apartment, to the Temple. She knew that the easiest way would be simply to use the freight elevators, that way no one would notice her in the strange outfit.

'Where are you going?' Palomene sounded surprised.

'Down to the markets, of course.'

'There is a quicker way, you know.' Palomene made a vague gesture to the railing.

"You must be joking", she shook her head.

'The magic will protect you from harm, and you can use the Force to slow your descent if you are afraid.'

Jedi are never afraid. They control their fear, and make it work for them. Knowing that she was most likely about to kill herself, Sailor Coruscant closed her eyes, and leapt over the railing, falling to the street below the Temple.

Her first response to the realisation that she was about to die was to scream, loudly, as she fell. 

From where he was mediating silently, Mi-Rai Shinwa looked up in alarm, believing for an instant that his Padawan was calling for him. He shook his head. Hikari-No was in no danger here in the Temple, and there was no way he could have heard her scream even if she was in trouble. 

In alarm, the members of the Council exchanged worried glances. 'Perhaps the bond is stronger than we thought', one mentally whispered to the others. 

Her hair was flying up above her head, and she knew that if anyone thought to look out their windows at the moment she passed, they would certainly be surprised. She hoped that the short skirt she was wearing was not fluttering up around her chest as she feared it was, and looked down for a brief instant to see the ground rising up towards her.

She felt ill, and wished that the ancient Jedi had built the Temple closer to the ground. Spires were all very well and good, but they took an awful long time to fall from. She stopped screaming in order to breathe.

It was strange. It seemed as if she had been falling forever, and yet it had taken only a moment to make it this far. And she knew suddenly, without knowing how she knew, that she would not die. It was almost disappointing, after she had resigned herself to the fact that she would be crushed by the impact of the street below, to realise that it would not happen.

Still, at least if she survived this she would have to face whatever monster the Dark Kingdom had sent against her.

'They're called youma', Palomene told her, 'but monster is a pretty close approximation. They are the minions of the Dark Kingdom, and the General commanding them will not hesitate to throw away the lives of hundreds of the youma to destroy you and hand over Coruscant to his Queen.'

'We must not let them do that.'

'That's what I was hoping you would say.'

Sailor Coruscant concentrated on her descent to the ground below, reaching out with the Force as she had done hundreds of times during training jumps of smaller distances. She made sure that she fell the last fifty or so meters slowly, so that she would not hurt herself when she landed.

As her feet touched the ground, she fell slightly forward, and she found herself on one knee, her arms moving wildly in an attempt to regain her balance. In a fit of clumsiness to rival *Star at her best, Sailor Coruscant fell to the ground, bumping her nose against the ground, to the timid laughter of a few bystanders who had noticed her suddenly falling from the sky and landing gracelessly.

For a moment she lay against the ground, hoping against hope that no one she knew would see her like that, and debating the worth of getting back up again. It was then that she heard the first scream, and got to her feet, not stopping to brush down her clothing.

As she ran amongst the stalls and crowds, Hikari-No realised she had no idea from where the scream had emanated. She stopped running, and turned around, trying to orientate herself. With the Temple at her back, she closed her eyes and searched with her mind, trying to find some sign of the Dark Kingdom's activity. 

After a few moments, she could suddenly sense many minds crying out in pain, and near them a sphere of blackness that could only be the creature. It was only a few hundred meters away, and though she tried to push past the crowds, their flight was only hindering her movements, pushing her backwards. Using the Force to guide her actions, she leapt into the air, reaching out and trying to cover more distance, then to find a gap in the group to land in. But still she was pushed backwards in the tide of creatures trying to flee.

Though she had never tried such a thing before, Sailor Coruscant reached out with the Force towards the minds of those coming towards her, raising a hand. The locket on her chest began to grow warm, and she asked the crowd silently to let her through. For a moment, there was no difference, and the locket grew cool again. But then first one, then another creature took a step to the side, and in a few moments a path appeared. 

Sailor Coruscant sent a quick thanks to the Force, before running on her way, hearing in her mind again *Star's scream. In two days, her closest Jedi friend had been attacked twice, and she wondered if that was coincidence. Perhaps, but probably not.

Sailor Coruscant saw the youma in the same instant that she spotted her, blue eyes matching deepest black in a glimpse of mutual terror. The beast was taller than her, with green skin that for a second reminded her of Catherine. Perversely, Sailor Coruscant remembered then that she had not yet read the message her friend had sent. Later. There would be time then. 

She brought her hands together to begin her attack, ignoring the lightsaber in her left hand, to summon the power that would destroy the creature, and found that she could not. In that one instant of hesitation, the scantily dressed youma snarled in a sweet voice.

"My Master told me that you might turn up. I remember what you did to Mysia and will not fall into the same trap. Attack, my pretties", she called, and the unconscious forms at her feet suddenly started to stand and walk towards Sailor Coruscant, their hands held out before them. At the spearhead of the attack was *Star, her eyes the same colour as the youma's and a blank expression on her face. As she grew nearer, Sailor Coruscant took a step back.

"Please, *Star, do not do this", she tried to plead with the girl, even as she stumbled in the heeled boots, and tripped backwards.

"She cannot hear you. You will die this day, and the Dark Kingdom will prevail." The youma was crowing, and she stretched forth her hands to gather more energy from anyone still in the markets.

*Star reached out her hands, and grabbed a hold of Sailor Coruscant's throat. In a panic, Sailor Coruscant reached out with the Force, trying to seek out her friend's mind and make her see reason. But there was simply a fuzzy darkness where *Star's thoughts should have been. She was holding her breath, but it would not be long until she blacked out if *Star would not let go.

Her hand was still on her lightsaber, but she did not want to use it against her friend. Behind her stood perhaps twenty other people, all willing to take over if *Star failed. And behind them, the youma, screaming in triumph. She dropped the lightsaber, bringing her hands to her locket.

'Palomene, help me', she cried in fear.

'Child, I cannot interfere in this.' She remembered then that Palomene had no physical substance on Coruscant, but it did not help her.

If she had been able to breathe, Sailor Coruscant would have sighed deeply before she moved against *Star. She tried to recall everything from her training, and could only recollect that she was never to attack, and that it was always easier to use an enemy's own strength against them. Not that the information would help her much. Another human under the youma's control came around behind Sailor Coruscant, and pulled her arms behind her back. 

Reaching out with the Force, she pushed the tall man back, and kicked backwards with her right foot, as her vision started to blacken. As she tried to stay conscious and focus her energies, Sailor Coruscant grabbed *Star's wrists, and thought at her, 'I hope you will forgive me later.'

She knew that *Star would instinctively prevent her from actively using the Force against her, so Sailor Coruscant jumped forward, hoping to dislodge her friend's hands even as she stretched forward one hand to place *Star in an unconscious state using those pressure points Jedi Heiwa had spoken about. Both girls crashed to the ground, and Sailor Coruscant found herself gasping for breath again. 

More of the youma's 'slaves' came towards her, but she stood up, calling her lightsaber to her hand and igniting it, using the last of her strength to leap over the people to where the youma was waiting to see her die. Too late she saw her own death as the lightsaber swung down and she was sliced in two.

The youma let out a scream of rage, before her body began to crumble into dust. Around her, the people who had became her slaves fell to the ground, each assuming the same expression of ignorance and peace as they slept, despite the carnage around them. Most of the affects of the youma's attacks had faded, but many of the uprooted stalls and dismantled shopfronts would not be repaired in a moment.

Sailor Coruscant fell to her knees, drained, and suddenly afraid as she realised how close to death she had come herself. She threw the lightsaber to the ground near her, as she started to cry softly.

"Well done, Sailor Coruscant", the voice seemed to be everywhere and nowhere, reverberating through her skull and causing her to involuntarily cry out in pain. She looked around, but could see no one who was not otherwise trying to recompose their scattered wits.

"Who are you?" she whispered, standing and turning around, partially hoping to see who it was that spoke to her. His voice sounded familiar, but at the same time she knew that she had never heard it before. She would remember.

"I am Hematite, General of the Dark Kingdom, and enemy of you, Sailor Coruscant. I will remember your name even after you are dead and the Dark Queen rules over all of the Galaxy. That is my promise to you."

Remembering her earlier promise to Palomene, Sailor Coruscant suddenly ignited her lightsaber, and smiled calmly. "Come before me then, General, and you will see that the Dark Side can never triumph. I will die before I allow you to take over my home."

Suddenly there was a shifting in the air in front of her, and she stepped back reflexively. A tall man stood before her, dressed in a grey uniform with a single red strip across the front. But it was his eyes that caught hers, deepest green meeting blue in a flash of colour and power. Then Palomene was standing between them.

"Still playing these tired old games, Hematite? I would have thought you had grown up by now." With a start, Sailor Coruscant realised that Palomene was speaking aloud. And that she seemed to know the Dark Kingdom General.

"Begone Guardian, you have no place here. Leave it to those of us with the power to fight." 

"I will fight you if that is what you want Hematite, but the timing is not right yet. Imagine what your Queen would say if she realised that her current favourite had died in a foolish battle he could not win."

"That hasn't been decided yet." But Hematite took a step away from Palomene anyway, and then shimmered and disappeared. She turned to Sailor Coruscant, and saw that the young Senshi was crying.

"Come now, Sailor Coruscant. It is best if we leave this place." A look of ancient sorrow passed over Palomene's face, and she stretched out a insubstantial hand, as though to touch the girl's arm, before sighing and disappearing. 

Sailor Coruscant looked at the lightsaber in disgust and loathing, knowing that she had let her anger and fear overcome her, a dangerous occurrence that she would try never to repeat.

She dried her eyes with her glove, and tried to find her calm once more. She walked from the market, and found a secluded place in which she transformed back into Hikari-No. Attaching her lightsaber back to her belt, Hikari-No wiped the last of her sadness from her face, and went to wake *Star up. 

"So you don't remember what happened?" Somehow, Hikari-No found that hard to believe. But the look on *Star's face suggested that what she said was true.

"I remember the strange creature. It was like the one in my dream last night, but not really. I seem to have a lot of strange dreams lately." She smiled, and winced at the pain that caused in her head, which was still aching. 

At this mention of dreams, Hikari-No started, wondering if they shared the same one of ever encroaching darkness that was starting to swamp Coruscant, spreading out from the Jedi Temple. "What else have you been dreaming about?" she asked politely.

*Star blushed. "Not very much", she murmured, but a stray thought escaped her shielding, and Hikari-No smiled at the image of Ura-Giri, realising that her friend was probably safe for now. "Although I did dream of a beautiful warrior who saved us all from the monster. I wish you had been in my dream, she was simply amazing. Using a blue lightsaber, a little like yours, she sliced the evil monster in half. It was incredible."

*Star smiled happily, and Hikari-No found herself blushing deeply. 

They parted a little while later, after *Star had promised Hikari-No that she would go to bed and sleep off the rest of her headache. As she reached her own apartment, Hikari-No remembered that she had promised to give Ura-Giri some help with his mathematics work that afternoon, but she called him and they agreed to do it some other time. He was looking as tired as she felt, and she was glad that he was not angry with her.

She went back to the balcony, and sat down, looking out at the city, now fully awake, but still calm, as though everything was normal, although Hikari-No realised that it never would be 'normal' again.

'Does it always feel this bad?' she asked of Palomene, knowing that the Guardian would hear her. In her mind she could still hear the youma's final cry of rage and fear, and she shuddered without realising what she did.

'Would you really want it to stop?' Palomene's voice was soft and understanding. Hikari-No thought about it for a few moments.

'I guess not. If it was easier, then I might somehow start to like destroying the creatures, hearing their pain. From there it would be a small step to the Dark Side and becoming no better then those of the Dark Kingdom.'

Palomene smiled at her, and kissed her forehead lightly, a motherly gesture that surprised Hikari-No. 'I knew that you were the right person for this', she said, her image sitting down next to the young Jedi.

'It does not make the regret go.' She sighed deeply, and another thought came to her. 'Palomene, how do you know Hematite? You spoke as if you knew him.'

It was the Guardian's turn to sigh. 'I did, long ago, before he joined the Dark Kingdom. He was a good man back then, before the Queen corrupted him with her power and changed him forever. Now there is no trace of the person he once was, although he still remembers the Guardians, if not me personally.' Her sigh carried the weight of ages, and of sorrow better forgotten. Although Hikari-No knew that she did not wish to speak on this topic any longer, she had one more question that she had to ask about Hematite.

'How long ago was it?'

'A very long time. I have lost count of the years that have passed since then, but it was many, many years before you were born.'

'But the Dark Kingdom had disappeared for thousands of years', Hikari-No was amazed and incredulous at once. 

'I know child. It was a long time ago when I knew Hematite, and I was there when the Sapphire Millennium failed. I was the Guardian to the Princess, and I failed in my duty, which is why I am still alive. The Queen gave me the gift of a long life so that I could continue the search for her daughter. She never realised how long it would take, nor how weary I have become. And yet I know her line still exists, I simply cannot find the child. Hopefully we will soon, and then I can rest.'

Hikari-No tried to process this information in her mind, and although she understood the words, there was something in what Palomene was saying that terrified her as she tried to know the pain of living for thousands of years, watching as all her friends and lovers died of old age. She found herself unexpectedly crying for her new friend.

'Don't cry for me, child', Palomene said, 'you are the one who still has to fight Hematite, for I cannot. You must train hard if you wish to defeat him.'

'But I do not want to defeat him. All I want is to be a normal girl.'

'I know.' Even though she could not feel it, Palomene put her arms around the young girl who was crying for the loss of her innocence and peace. 

'How long?' Hikari-No asked.

'How long until what?' 

'How long until they attack again?'

'I do not know', Palomene shook her head. 'It could be hours or days, the Dark Kingdom was always unpredictable. Don't fret, you will have plenty of warning when they do.'

'I hope so.'

Thinking again of the horrible task she had been asked to complete, Hikari-No found herself wishing for a peaceful existence away from all her fears and worries. She feel asleep later, dreaming of a peaceful future. 

On her desk rested a small message, still unread.

"Hikari-No,  
I had a terrible dream last night that you were under attack from a awful monster, and although this probably seems strange, I thought to write and see that you were all right with my own eyes.   
Hopefully this finds you well, and that my dream was little more than a nightmare.  
Your friend until forever,  
Catherine." 

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter Seven

"The Third Age began with the completion of the formation of the Galactic Republic. The Age of Preparation has come to be the longest of the Ages of the Galaxy, baring the First Age. None will ever come to last as long as this.

"During it's progression, the people of the Galaxy have forgotten about the Senshi and the Sapphire Millennium, placing their faith and hope in the Republic and the Jedi Knights, those who have the ability to use echoes of the power of the Senshi, which they call the Force.

"However, the prophecies state that the time of the beginning of the Fourth Age is near, and will occur sometime in the next ten generations. The Fourth Age will begin with the finding of that which has ever been concealed, and then the dawning of the new Sapphire Millennium will take place.

"It is the duty and the destiny of we, the Guardians of Mau, to wait and watch for the return of the Queen, so that we may advise and protect her, as is traditional.

"When the time is right, we will train the New Senshi and teach them the old ways. For only the power of the Queen and her protectors will be able to defeat the evil that is gaining strength."

- From the Third Book of the Song of Ages, Mau.

Ura-Giri smiled at Hikari-No over the mathematics notes, delighting in answering the question correctly. She smiled back shyly, not sure about meeting his eyes. For the past few months they had been meeting most afternoons following their classes for extra study.

It was not always class work either. Some afternoons they sparred together, she teaching him many of the techniques that she had learnt in her own free time. In return, he showed her some of the extra skills he had acquired on Ishta Three. The fighting and lightsaber style of the far-off world were more aggressive then Hikari-No expected of a Jedi, and so she found them hard to master. But she tried hard, spending many of her few remaining free hours practicing, in the gymnasium and the apartment, when she was not fighting the Dark Kingdom.

After the first few terrible days, the frequency of the attacks had lessened, coming now only every few days. It had seemed that they were at in impasse, for every time the Dark Kingdom managed to steal some small amount of energy from the innocents of Coruscant, she would then kill one of their youmas. Although she and Palomene had tried to trace the youma and discover the location of the Dark Kingdom's base, they had so far found no useful leads. 

The Guardian was Hikari-No's constant companion, and they spent much time talking together. Hikari-No had yet to track Palomene's thought and discover where she really was, and now she rarely even appeared before Hikari-No in a visible form. It was commonly accepted that Hikari-No was strange, for she was always distracted in class now, as she talked with the Guardian and they discussed new strategy for fighting the minions of the Dark Kingdom. Despite Hikari-No's efforts, Palomene had volunteered no more information about Hematite, and he had only shown himself three more times to Sailor Coruscant, each time from a distance taunting her and promising her a swift death when the time was right.

It seemed that she was always tired now too. Her days were spent in lessons, and her nights travelling the planet's surface to arrive at the site of the latest attack to stop it. She slept whenever she could, and although her marks were not suffering, she knew that if she fell asleep in class again Master Haruna would speak with her Master about it, and that she could not afford. Still, at least she would probably get to sleep in her own bed tonight. She was using the Force to keep herself awake now, and knew that if she did not get some real sleep soon she would make herself sick. 

Ura-Giri glanced away, to the timepiece on the wall of the library, and started to collect his books. "I'd better go. The Council said that they wanted to speak with me today, and I'd best get up to see them before the sun sets." She was amazed at how close he was coming to defying the Council openly, by not coming immediately when they called him, but could see no fault in his reasoning. Maybe things had been different on Ishta Three, it certainly seemed that his Master had not been your average Jedi. Nothing Ura-Giri ever did was usual. 

He smiled down at her as he stood, her blue eyes meeting his green for the first time that day. "I will see you tomorrow, and we'll finish off this then", he said, "Sleep well, Little Miko." She wondered how he knew that she had not been sleeping properly. Then again, she had been yawning a fair bit this afternoon. 

"Sleep well, Ura-Giri", she whispered to his retreating form. She glanced down at her book for an instant, before looking back up to catch a final glimpse of him as he walked out of the library. Why could she not stop staring at him? It was hardly proper. Her thoughts kept drifting towards him throughout many of her spare moments, and she wondered again what exactly was so special about him that he occupied her mind so frequently. 

"You know he'll only break your heart", came a familiar voice behind her. Startled, Hikari-No pulled her gaze back to her book, pretending to study for a long moment as she hoped that it was not someone she knew, before she recognised the voice that had spoken to her and looked up in surprise. 

Dressed in a pretty gown of pale yellow, Catherine looked every inch a princess visiting friends in the Jedi Temple. At once Hikari-No was amazed and worried. What would bring Catherine all the way from Domus Prime? 

Not that it really mattered. She embraced her friend warmly, amazed at the changes that had been wrought in the four years since they had last been together. Catherine was now fourteen, same as Hikari-No, but she looked more mature, and there was a sadness in her eyes that had not been there before. She looked as if she had not laughed in weeks, and although there was still a sparkle in her eyes, it seemed partly diminished. 

Somehow her friend had been able to hide it from her all those times they had spoken. Hikari-No felt her sorrow and worry, and reached out a hand to Catherine. "What has happened? Is there anything I can do?" she asked. 

The last of Catherine's resolve crumbled, and she started crying in Hikari-No's arms. It was then that Hikari-No noticed the two girls who had followed Catherine into the library, probably some of the Princess' handmaidens. They were worried about Catherine, but made no move to go to her. Both kept their faces expressionless, and one closed her eyes in her effort to ignore the girl's pain. 

'So cold', Hikari-No thought. She realised that they were creating quite a stir in the library, and so asked Catherine if she would like to go outside, who nodded, not trusting herself to speak. 

Once on her balcony, Hikari-No sat Catherine down, and neither girl moved from there, watching the sunset. After a while, Catherine stopped crying, partially because she was trying to contain them and not show any weakness, but mostly because Hikari-No was using all her influence to sooth the other girl. 

The handmaidens were still there in the background, watching over Catherine. Hikari-No was amazed at how they kept their distance from the girl, even though both seemed to know her and understand her feelings. The younger of the two was openly weeping, but would not move from where she was standing. 

'Hikari-No, we need to talk', Palomene's thought came to her, but she shook it away as Catherine reached up one hand to wipe away a final tear. 

'Not now, Palomene.' 

'But I think I have found something in the prophecies that will help us find the Princess.' 

Hikari-No thought about it for a moment, knowing of the Guardian's lifelong quest, before sighing softly, and making her choice. 

'I cannot help you. My friend needs me.' 

Palomene did not reply. 

Hikari-No felt like crying, so keen was her sense of betrayal. She was so lost in her remorse and worry that she almost missed it when Catherine spoke, little more than a whisper. 

Hikari-No drew her knees up in front of her and wrapped her arms around them, looking over in surprise as what Catherine said became clear to her. 

"Domus Prime has gone to war." 

Sometime later she had heard the entire story, and understood that Catherine was on Coruscant to plead with the Senate, asking them to intervene. It seemed as though the girl had been intending to come to the planet to study interplanetary politics anyway, but now she had to participate. It seemed a cruel task to place upon the shoulders of a fourteen-year old girl, but she had said that the Princess was unwell. 

At least Hikari-No had been able to put Catherine's fears about her own safety to rest. That was one less thing for her to worry about. Catherine had noticed and commented on her locket, saying that it looked somehow familiar. She had promised to try and find the time to research the strange emblem on it when she returned to Domus Prime. 

She had also explained the presence of the two handmaidens. They had been sent along as her bodyguards, along with an entourage of the Royal Forces of Domus Prime, to protect her from her enemies on the opposing side of the war. Although Domus Prime was normally peaceful, they understood that Catherine's trip to Coruscant would not be without risk, although she did say that she would die to protect her people. 

The two girls walked together back to Hikari-No's rooms, for Catherine wished to pay her respects to Master Shinwa. Together they gossiped and laughed, sharing memories and hopes, each pretending to put their personal fears aside to cheer the other. 

Hikari-No felt a flash of premonition, and looked up in surprise. The long hallway was empty, save for one Jedi Padawan who was walking towards them. She thought she recognised the girl, a little older than her, with blond hair, and pretty blue eyes. She remembered that she had been sent away from the Temple at one point, but could not recall why. But she could not recollect her name. Page? No, of course, it was Pai-Gan. Hikari-No could not remember her last name, but it did not matter. 

As the girl approached them, Hikari-No smiled and gave a small bow. "Welcome back, Pai-Gan", she said, and was surprised when the older girl started. For an instant, her eyes looked as though they were black, but Hikari-No knew that it was not possible. 

She thought to smile and ask about where the girl had been for so many years, but Pai-Gan looked away, and muttered softly, "I do not have time to talk right now." 

"Of course" Hikari-No nodded, "You must have a lot to do, now that you are back in the Temple." 

"That's true enough", Pai-Gan muttered, before continuing on her way without looking back. 

"It was nice to see you again", Hikari-No called, before shrugging her shoulders at Catherine and walking down the hallway. The two handmaidens exchanged a glance and replaced their weapons in the concealed holsters. 

Sometime later, Catherine had to leave and return to the apartments of the senator from Domus Prime, with whom she was to stay during her time on Coruscant. The next day she would go before the Senate, and both girls hoped that they would be able to spend some more time together after then. 

Hikari-No was seated in her room, a book in one hand, as she tried to study and focus her thoughts. She was unable to concentrate though, her mind tracing circles as she tried to think about anything but what was happening on Domus Prime. How could something like this have been allowed to happen? Surely the people involved had better sense than that. But the Princess was old, and it was entirely possible that there were people on Domus Prime who had taken to making decisions for her, caring only for their own personal wants and needs, rather than what was good for the entire planet and its people. 

'Why are people like that?' she wondered, wishing that Palomene had an answer, even a sarcastic one. But there was only silence in her mind. 

Both Hikari-No and Catherine got very little sleep that night, as each girl pondered the nature of people of all kinds in the galaxy, and how anyone could chose the path of warfare over the choice of peace. 

"What's wrong, Little Miko?" Ura-Giri asked her quietly, stealing a moment when Master Haruna's back was turned to whisper to the girl beside him. Hikari-No shook her head. 

"Nothing important. I am just worried about a friend." He could understand that. Master Haruna turned back to the class, and Ura-Giri quickly changed the topic, asking Hikari-No if she could check over his formation of the sentence 'would you like to go out for dinner?' in Huttese. As usual, his language work was flawless, and she wondered why he had even bothered to ask her to read it. Still, it was not until he scribed the word 'tonight' next to his question that she understood, and her eyes widened. 

'Of course' she wrote back. Although the words looked harsh and unemotional, her heart had suddenly started beating faster, though she did not know why. She smiled softly, looking down at her notebook, not glancing up for the rest of the class, for fear that her face would betray her delight. 

She was distracted all day, and in their afternoon sparring session he managed to knock her to the floor three times before she was able to concentrate enough to block all his further attacks. Fortunately, he did not notice, or if he did, he said nothing. 

"What?" He looked up suddenly distracted. Hikari-No landed a kick on his chest, and he fell to the floor, completely unprepared. She apologised quickly, but his eyes were not focussed, as though someone was speaking with him telepathically, and she wondered who would be so rude. A flash of anger burned in Ura-Giri's eyes and for a brief moment Hikari-No thought that he was a different person, one who did not know her. 

She took a step back without realising what she was doing, raising one hand to her face as though she had been slapped, and she could feel on the outskirts of her mind that a youma was attacking again. She closed her eyes to help her focus as she tried to locate it, at the same time wondering why Palomene had not contacted her. 'The Senate?' her mind whispered in shock, horror, and sudden realisation, 'Catherine.' 

She tried to think of an excuse, to tell Ura-Giri that she would have to leave now, and that she probably would not get to see him again until tomorrow, when she realised that he was standing up, and brushing down his robes. 

"I'm sorry", he apologised to her, "but I have to go. The Council wishes to speak with me again." 

She smiled lightly, he had given her an easy way out, and she thanked him softly in the recesses of her mind. "They monopolise your time more than that of any other Padawan, I wonder why?" 

He laughed softly. "I'm just lucky, I guess. I'll talk with you tomorrow, Little Miko." 

"May the Force be with you, Ura-Giri", she said softly as he turned and walked away. Though she tried to call out to Palomene, there was no answer. Leaving the gym through a different door, she tried to think of the fastest way to the Senate Building. 

Some time later, she entered the building to find that everyone, from the security forces to the senators themselves, were lying asleep where they had been when the youma attacked. She reached out a questioning thought, and was relieved to find that Catherine's thoughts were fine, if a little shaken. Hikari-No decided that she could not afford to risk being identified by her friend, and so she reinforced the youma's compulsion on Catherine to sleep. Hikari-No fed Catherine's faltering energy with her own, and smiled slightly when she realised that Catherine was now out of danger, or would be, once the youma was destroyed. 

She had transformed before her arrival, and was looking for the youma, a seemingly impossible task in a place this big. But, unlike its predecessors, the creature seemed to waste energy almost as rapidly as it captured it, expending vast amounts in a pyrotechnics display that shook the foundations of the eternal city. She could sense it generally by what the youma was doing, but it was not until the creature seemed to find a target for its anger that she could actually tell that it was on one of the lower levels of the Senate Chamber. 

She ran as quickly as she could down to such a point where she would be able to confront the creature and find out why, all of a sudden, the Dark Kingdom had changed its style of attack. 

The youma called out a challenge, demanding that someone worthy come forth and fight it. 

"Hold it right there, daemon", a new voice called, and Sailor Coruscant looked up in surprise, turning away from the object of her observations. She had been about to attack the youma, but now she paused, and she knew that the moment would slip away as she tried to sense who would challenge the creature. 

The youma itself looked surprised, and turned around, seeming to pinpoint something in the shadows, on the same level as it. It growled, and shot off a thread of water into the darkness there. The phantasm against the wall leapt into the air, and the energy crashed into the wall behind her, causing it to crumble into dust. 

The youma tried to shoot at the girl as she moved through the air, but she was too quick. Even though she could not see her features, Sailor Coruscant recognised the uniform the girl was wearing: it was almost identical to her own. As this imitation Senshi stepped into the light, she could see her clearly for the first time, and for a moment thought that she recognised her. 

The other girl appeared to be taller than her, her hair tied in a strange style, two chestnut-coloured buns with long streams of hair trailing from them. On each was a dark green clip, the same colour as her skirt, front bow and boots. Her sleaves and the back bow were a light violet colour, and the collar of her fuku was dark purple. 

Sailor Coruscant took a few steps forward to get a closer view, knowing that neither of the two facing off below her would notice. They were too busy to take their eyes off each other. 

The girl - Senshi, she supposed - held in her hands a long staff, which she waved menacingly at the youma. Sailor Coruscant wondered who this one was who dared to dress like that voluntarily. The youma called out that question, even as Sailor Coruscant dared to think it. She blinked in surprise. Had she just?- No, it was not possible, just a coincidence. 

The girl started defiantly, before grinning, turning around to announce her presence to the world. "I am Sailor Star, the defender of justice. For beating up the chosen representatives of the people, and terrorising the politicians of this galaxy, I will punish you!" She finished dramatically, pointing her staff at him, then dropped it. Flushing, she bent to pick it up, and the spray of water that the youma sent at her sailed over her head. 

Sailor Coruscant rolled her eyes, wondering how long it would be before the youma actually managed to hit this girl, who seemed to have amazing luck. Still, she should probably interfere. She brought her hands together and summoned a blast of energy that crashed into the ground near the youma's feet. 

Nimbly, she jumped to the ground in front of 'Sailor Star', and whispered softly, "Go now, while I destroy this thing." 

The other Senshi's eyes widened. "Wow", she breathed, "you're Sailor Coruscant, aren't you?" She did not respond, but the other girl kept on talking, not moving, or even preparing to run. "I've heard so much about you, I can't believe I am actually standing here. You've saved my life so many times and I haven't ever had the chance to say 'thank you'." 

There was a lulling quality to Sailor Star's words, and she found herself turning her eyes from the youma in shock and amazement. Taking advantage of her distraction, the youma threw a wave of water at them both, and it struck Sailor Coruscant hard, and she flew through the air backwards, to land unconscious on the floor. 

Atop the Council Spire, thirteen Jedi Masters sat in meditation. One smiled wryly, and wondered if he should collect on his bets with the others yet, or wait until the present crisis was past. 

'And then there were two', he projected smugly. 

Despite having had her energy drained, Catherine managed to gather the strength to stand, at least for a little while. Although the still unconscious forms around her worried her, the sounds of some sort of battle down below caught her attention. She looked down to where she saw some sort of alien creature was fighting two young girls, one of which looked slightly familiar in a way she couldn't place. Her exhausted mind for a brief instant made the connection, even as she saw the shorter of the two girls was blasted with what looked like a stream of water. 

"Hikari-No", she whispered, before fainting again. 

Sailor *Star looked over at Sailor Coruscant in sudden horror, as she realised that the more experienced Senshi was not going to get up. 

'Now what?' her mind-voice whispered in fear. 

'Fight back.' The answer was so obvious, but how was she to do that? If Sailor Coruscant couldn't defeat this thing, how could she? Still, she did have her nice new Jenova Staff, surely that would count for something. She only wished that she had taken Hikari-No up on her offer of lessons in using the archaic-style weapon. 

The creature threw another blast of water at her, but she held her Staff out in front of her, and the water divided, each half going to one side of her. She smiled, as a series of words came into her mind unbidden. 

"Shiva Aqua, Evervesance!", Sailor *Star screamed at the top of her lungs, her own energy going into the attack, which did little, but caused the monster to step backwards in surprise. She knew that her power had not affected the creature seriously, but at least now she would be able to fight back. 

Sailor *Star smiled. 

Hikari-No drifted in darkness, enjoying the peace that she found there. It was so quiet here, and she could sleep at last. Nothing affected her here, there was no worries or pain. Only silence. 

She wondered idly if she had died. 

'Of course not, you silly girl.' Even now that she was dead, Palomene mocked her. 

'I thought you had given up on me.' If Palomene could afford to tease her, she would not oblige her by taking offence. 

'Of course not. I just went and found outside assistance. You're going to need it if we are to find the Princess.' 

'Why are you always so cryptic?' 

'It's my nature. When you're as old as I am, you get used to never giving anyone a straight answer.' 

'What did you want to talk about yesterday?' 

'I found something in the prophecies. To find the Princess, we need to find her protectors first.' 

'You mean there are other Senshi?' 

'Naturally. So, I went and found Sailor Durillion, although she seems to prefer being called Sailor Star, for some reason. I thought you could use the help.' As Palomene pronounced the Senshi's name, Sailor Coruscant got the impression that she was rolling her eyes. She knew the feeling. 

'She does not know how to fight the youma.' 

'Which is why you are going to train her to be a Senshi, so that when we find the Princess she has bodyguards who can protect her. You two will have to work together, so I suggest you wake up now.' 

'Wake up? But I am dead.' 

'You're not dead, little Jedi. Believe me, when you're dead, you'll know it.' There was a bright flash of light, and Hikari-No reacted instantly, throwing up a hand to protect her eyes, even as understanding dawned on her, and she felt rather foolish. 

'Oh', was all she said. 

Sailor Coruscant opened her eyes, feeling an aching pain in her chest, and was amazed to see Sailor Star holding the youma at bay. 

"Silver Star, Streak!", she cried, pointing her Staff at the youma and causing a bright flash of light to pass from the end of it. It scored the youma's left arm, drawing pale green blood to the surface. 

As she got to her feet Sailor Coruscant wondered where the weapon had come from, and why she did not have one. If she remembered her vision from Domus Prime correctly, she should have one, she remembered seeing a warrior carrying a Staff. 

It did not matter, she had to fight, she had to help Sailor Star destroy the creature. "Force Blast", she called the power to her hands, and then shot it past the other girl into the youma who stepped back, startled but otherwise unhurt. She wondered what it would take to stop this thing. 

The energy it had gathered from the members of the Senate must be augmenting its own power, that was the only explanation, unless the Dark Kingdom had started sending stronger warriors against them. Which would mean that they were afraid. 

Sailor Star turned around, as Sailor Coruscant stepped forward to join her. "We can defeat him together", she said, smiling reassuringly at the newest Senshi. Sailor Star held out a hand to her, and she gripped it firmly, as she readied another attack. 

Hematite appeared in the air above them, levitating on a swirl of red light. But his attention was centred on the youma, he barely looked over at the two Senshi. 

"What are you doing?" He demanded irritably of the youma, "Your orders were to gather energy for our Queen and then leave before the Senshi could show up. Do you dare defy me?" 

The youma flinched before his harsh words, and Sailor Coruscant decided to wait and see what was taking place before attempting to stop the youma or Hematite. She placed a restraining hand on Sailor Star's arm, and the other girl nodded. 

"General Hematite, I only wished to please you", the fawning tone in the youma's voice was almost comical, yet Sailor Coruscant suddenly understood. The youma were the forefront of the Dark Kingdom's attack because they had little real value in the eyes of their overseers. Hematite did not care for any of them, they were pawns to be sacrificed as necessary to achieve his goals. Hematite would continue to send the youma against the Senshi in increasing numbers until they were dead, and the Dark Kingdom would be free to destroy all life in the Galaxy. She wondered if Hematite was of any real importance to his Queen, and how long she would suffer the failure of his minions before deciding to punish her General. 

All unnoticed, Sailor Star had slipped up behind Hematite, and before Sailor Coruscant could warn her, she swung her staff in a wide arc, so that it connected with his head with a sickening crunch sound. Hematite swayed on his feet, then fell to the ground. 

The youma looked over in surprise. "You", she snarled, a look of pure malice on her face. "For that, you will die!" She leapt towards Sailor Star, water streaming from her fingertips towards the Senshi. 

The chestnut-haired girl looked up too late to dodge the blast, and time seemed to slow down for Sailor Coruscant, who knew that unless she acted to save her, Sailor Star would die. She closed her eyes, and reached out for the staff that she knew she possessed, making a small gesture with one hand behind her back. 

'The Crystal Staff?' Palomene gasped. 

When she opened her eyes again a second later, in her hand was a beautiful staff, that seemed to be made of clear crystal. It was long and slender, and fitted to her hand like it had been made for her. She knew it's balance, and she knew how to fight with it. The staff was taller than her, so she held it on a diagonal. She held it in front of her with both hands, one sliding up towards it's finely crafted spear-like point. At the top shone the same sign as on her locket, a pure white heart on a black circle. The staff flickered with blue light as she thought of how to release the power that it contained. 

"Destiny Shield", Sailor Coruscant called, and from the tip of her staff began to shine a blue light, that increased in size, becoming a glowing sphere that sped towards Sailor Star and the intense stream of water that threatened to engulf her. 'Please', her mind whispered. 

The blue energy met the water in a crackle of electricity, and the water was absorbed by Sailor Coruscant's shield. She felt the shifting in the Force as the power was joined by her own strength, and the two combined to crash through the youma's defenses, and it drowned in it's own water energy. It's body crumbled to dust, which was swept away by a wind that could not have existed in the Senate Chamber. She felt a shifting in the Force as the remains of the energy it had taken from the members of the Senate was returned. 

Hematite got to his feet, a little unsteadily, and Sailor Coruscant wondered how it was possible for him to have recovered so quickly. There was so little that she knew about the Dark Kingdom, especially how they managed to manipulate the Force in such a manner. Although she knew that it was the Dark Side and should therefore be avoided, she felt a strange curiosity about this General that she wished to satisfy. How was it that the Dark Queen had the power to turn people to her allegiance so that they lost all memory of who they were before, leaving only a shadow of their past life whilst they fought for the powers of evil? Was it possible that such a power could be used for the Light? 

Sailor Star grinned at her, and flashed her a 'victory' sign. However, she did move to stand with Sailor Coruscant, flanking her as she moved to confront Hematite. 

"Thank you", he said, and she blinked in surprise, not knowing how to respond. "That youma was a danger to our Kingdom. But I owe you no debt, Sailor Coruscant, I would have destroyed it myself had your little friend here not interfered." 

She nodded her head, understanding. She readied her staff to fight him, and he grinned at her, sending a blast of dark energy towards her that swept her off her feet. Before she could respond, Sailor Star had raised her hands above her head, crying, "Infrit Brimstone, Surround!" He leapt over the top of her attack, and the flames that Sailor Star commanded dissipated and died before they could destroy anything. Sailor Coruscant was surprised at her control. 

"Let's not fight anymore little girls. We all know what the outcome will be", Hematite said, reclining in midair. He gave a short, angry, laugh and disappeared. 

"I really wish he would not do that", Sailor Coruscant said, finding that her legs failed her and sitting down before she could fall, "There is something about him." Without realising exactly what she was doing, she reached out and put her Staff back to the place where she had received it from. She knew now how to call it back to her whenever she needed it, and she wondered what else she could keep in that place. 

She was lost in her thoughts, not noticing as the members of the Senate began to find the energy to stand and look around them. She sensed their dazed thoughts, but would not act, all her thoughts being on Hematite, and why he seemed so familiar to her. She supposed that it was because she had met him on the field of battle so many times that she was starting to get to know him, but when she tried to send out a questing thought to him, she could not find the Dark Kingdom General. Not that she had expected to. 

"Hey SC, don't you think we should get out of here?" It was Sailor Star, intruding in her silence. Sailor Coruscant looked up in surprise, suddenly remembering where she was. She looked up at the taller girl, and took her hand to be helped to her feet. 

"What did you call me?" she asked, wondering what Sailor Star had done with her staff. Was she also able to hide things in an invisible 'pocket'? 

"SC. It's a lot easier on the tongue than Sailor Coruscant." It seemed so logical, and the earnest expression on her face made Sailor Coruscant smile. 

"I suppose it would be. Come along then, Sailor Star. Let us go away from this place to somewhere a little more quiet to talk." 

She smiled up at the taller girl, and decided that she would trust her newfound ally. They ran outside, to where she had left the air speeder she had checked out. Sailor Star looked it over questioningly. 

"You're a Jedi?" she asked, a small smile dancing on her face. There was something familiar about her voice, yet Sailor Coruscant could not place it. 

'I told you, the magic protects your identities.' She smiled at Palomene's words, as she got into the speeder, making sure that Sailor Star was fine before she took off. 

"I told you that you never explain anything." 

Sailor Star laughed at the chagrin in her voice. "You hear Palomene too? I was beginning to think I was crazy, hearing voices in my head." 

'The Force speaks to us in many ways', Palomene's smug superiority was starting to annoy Sailor Coruscant. 

"Oh, shut up", both she and Sailor Star chorused, before exchanging a glance and starting to laugh. 

"So, where to?" she asked the other Senshi. 

"The Temple, of course." 

Sailor Star was a Jedi? She took her eyes from the passage, her hands piloting the speeder without needing her full attention. As though a veil suddenly lifted from her eyes, she looked at Sailor Star and suddenly saw two people there. She recognised the other. 

"*Star?" she whispered incredulously. 

Sailor Star raised a hand to the locket on the front of her uniform, which melted back to her normal Jedi robes. "None other", she grinned, "Who do I have the honour of addressing?" 

"It's me. Hikari-No." She let her own transformation fall, and smiled back at her friend. For a time, *Star just stared at her in silence, shaking her head. Then she started laughing. 

"The perfect disguise. No one would think that little Hikari-No was the sailor- suited warrior of love and justice, Sailor Coruscant. This is just too rare." She was laughing so hard that for a time Hikari-No wondered if she was going to fall off her seat. "I only have one question", she said after she had regained her composure. 

"Only one?" 

"How was your date with Ura-Giri?" 

She started laughing again before Hikari-No could hit her in mock anger. 

They spent most of the night talking in Hikari-No's apartment, for her Master was once again off with the other Jedi Masters, leaving her alone to amuse herself. 

Her dreams were full of nightmarish creatures and a darkness that threatened to overcome her. In the place where they were keeping her, the Force did not exist, only anger and hatred and the Dark Side. Then the dreams shifted, and she was back on Coruscant. But she was alone, and she was fighting Hematite. *Star was not there, and she could no longer fight on her own. She was dying. 

When she awoke, she could remember little of her premonitions. 

In the morning they went to class, and Hikari-No promised that although her afternoons still belonged to Ura-Giri and her sessions with him, each evening she and *Star would train together so that they could defeat the Dark Kingdom's youma and, eventually, Hematite. 

The entire Temple was in an uproar that morning, for in the night, someone had killed the Jedi Master, Lynn-Gie, one of the twelve members of the Council. The usual rumours of Sith and the Dark Side abounded, and his Padawan had yet to be found. Some of the Padawans whispered that it was Darth Ravage returned to finish the job that he started six years ago when he had killed fully half the Council, but everyone knew that there was no substance to the rumours. Although the Masters tried to quell the curiosity of the students, it seemed that they would not be turned from their speculations. 

The Temple was thrown into mourning, but only a few would attend his cremation the following day. When Jedi Master Mi-Rai Shinwa was asked to be present to grieve for his friend, it was accepted by all that he would be invited to take Lynn-Gie's place on the Council. 

Catherine left the next day. Hikari-No had tried to speak to her, to ask about what had happened and to tell her friend what was taking place around her, and why she would be safer on Domus Prime, but for the first time in their friendship it appeared as if a wall had come up between them. Each girl was lost in her own thoughts, and neither knew exactly where to begin to repair things. 

In the end, they embraced warmly, each crying, and neither wanting to talk about her own problems. Catherine swore privately that she would never tell anyone what she had seen, she was not even sure she believed it herself. Hikari-No knew that everything would be all right, even though the Senate had not been able to promise anyone assistance, refusing to take sides in the conflict. 

When she had tried to talk to Ura-Giri about what had happened between them that night, he shrugged off what she was saying, telling her that it was his fault they had been unable to spend very much time together, and that she "should stop apologising all the time, Little Miko." 

Little Miko. From anyone else she would have been insulted, but there was something about the way Ura-Giri said his pet name for her that always made her blush. 

He was so nice. She wondered idly if *Star was right and if she was developing a crush on the older student. For the first time since she met him, Hikari- No decided privately that maybe the answer was yes. 

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter Eight

"When at last the light arrives,  
It shall be borne by the one bearing the mark of the Old Kingdom.  
She shall be the one to lead them,  
When that which has ever been hidden shall be revealed.  
The Dark shall be vanquished,  
And the path of destiny will lie in the hands of a child,  
Raised by warriors,  
Trained in the Old Ways by the one who cannot die."

"The Kingdom shall be borne anew when Coruscant's Shadow is finally shown;  
And all will bear witness to the power of the Queen of Old,  
Though she is long dead."

"Keep her get,  
For it is only through her that all will be saved or surrendered."

"The face of the Shadow is crumpled with tears.  
It is her choice that will determine the fate of us all."

"Guard well the priestess of light,  
For she is our only hope."

-From the writings of Kassanda, Mau.

Hikari-No forced her eyes to open. She was so tired she could barely stay awake, even with the assistance of Ura-Giri and *Star, both of whom were watching over her.

The past three days the Dark Kingdom had been attacking almost incessantly, and after fighting them she had not had time to think, let alone to sleep or eat. It seemed that whenever she was not fighting, she was dreaming of a time when there would be no more fighting. She was well aware that she was being pushed to her limits, and sometime soon, something was going to break.

*Star was faring better. Somehow she did not tire as easily as Hikari-No did, and she always seemed to find time to sleep. Her grades were not suffering, but then again, there was little room for them to fall into. Sometimes it seemed to Hikari-No that *Star did not care about what she did, about how the creatures they destroyed by night could have had families and friends back in the Dark Kingdom who would have been grieved by what she was doing. That she did not understand that she was killing them, that they would become one with the Force, that there was no 'ever after' for them. 

Hikari-No knew that her thoughts were angry and bitter and that she envied *Star her careless appearance, even though she knew it was a facade, *Star's way of hiding what she really felt. *Star was more practical than Hikari-No, she understood that what she did was for the good of the people of the galaxy, even if it was not what was best for the youma of the Dark Kingdom.

The last time she had seen Hematite, Hikari-No realised that he looked like she felt, completely run down and exhausted. She wondered what it was that she found so familiar about him, perhaps Palomene had been correct and she had known him in a previous life, although that did not fit with the Jedi's beliefs. 

Her Master had accepted Lynn-Gie's position on the Council, and now that his time was officially theirs she saw him little, which suited her purposes. Until the threat of the Dark Kingdom had been removed, she had little time to spend with her Master, let alone study with him. 

"Hikari-No, will you please pay attention?" Startled, she looked up at Master Haruna, aware that she was blushing deeply. She had gotten distracted again, and she couldn't afford that. A Jedi was always aware of what was taking place around her, and at the moment Hikari-No was beginning to wonder if she would ever become a Jedi.

"Yes Master", was all she said, bowing her head to conceal her embarrassment. When the teacher's back was turned again she looked up, and realised that she had missed several pages worth of notes. She would not be able to catch up this lesson, she would have to borrow the notes from Ura-Giri that afternoon, and hope that she would be able to pick it up herself, although the class had simply been revising past work recently. Hikari-No hoped there would be nothing new to learn.

Hikari-No was still confused about how she felt for Ura-Giri Koibito. She truly liked him, she knew that much, and she hoped that he liked her too, although she suspected that he thought of her as a younger sister or a close friend. More than anything else, she wished that she had enough time to spend more with him, if only so she could indulge her wish to speak with him properly and understand what was taking place in her own mind. 

She wondered again if this was just a crush, rather like something *Star would say she felt for another student. No, this was more serious. Catching her thoughts before she even finished them, Hikari-No bent to do her work, ignoring the whispers from the back of the class at her recently acquired inattention.

'Sailor Coruscant.' Hikari-No started at the sudden voice of Hematite in her mind. She looked around frantically, trying to push the invader from her thoughts, whilst at the same time trying to track him. She could find nothing, and she shuddered at the sudden violation of her mind.

"Who is that?" one of the girls at the back of the room whispered to her friends, and Hikari-No realised that they had all heard his calling. Even Master Haruna looked suddenly distracted, and Hikari-No wondered how widespread Hematite's projection was. There was no time for further thought, as he started speaking again.

'I know that you are a Jedi, Sailor Coruscant, I know all about you.' How did he know that she was a Jedi? She doubted that he knew everything about her, if he did, why was he contacting almost every person in the Temple? 'I believe that it is time that you and I should have a duel. One on one, to the death, so that you can witness the Dark Kingdom's triumph over your galaxy. Tonight.'

There was an exciting whispering all around her, everyone was talking, she could not hear him properly. How could she, with all this excess noise? She had to know when, where Hematite was going to fight, so that she could stop him from doing what ever it was that he could do to the people that she was supposed to protect.

'Where?' she called, not knowing if he could even hear her.

'At the main spaceport at D-point, midnight.' There was a smile in his voice that made her cringe, it was so full of malice. How could anyone be so dark? She suddenly sensed Palomene's presence, beside her, but not visible. She was radiating anger and something else that Hikari-No could not place. She tried to converse silently with the Guardian, but then she could hear Hematite's laughter, mocking as always.

'I will be waiting for you, Sailor Coruscant. If you do not come, I will destroy your world without mercy.' Then his voice was gone, and she found herself slipping forward, away from everyone in the room.

The whispering rose in volume to a clamour, and it was only the sudden pressure of *Star's hand on her arm that forced Hikari-No to keep conscious. She felt dizzy and disorientated, and for a few moments she had no idea where she was, only that she had to get to D-point by midnight tonight. As she came to herself and looked around, she realised that she was not the only one who felt that way. Master Haruna looked visibly shaken, and Ura-Giri looked pale.

She wondered why Hematite had decided to broadcast his message to the boys as well as the girls in her class. Surely he realised that Sailor Coruscant was a girl. As she thought of her uniform, she had to smile. He would have to be blind to think otherwise. He had probably sent the message to everyone because it would have been easier than trying to only send it to half the Temple selectively. Still, she wondered how he could have known that she was a Jedi.

D-point was the name given to a bad area of the City, up above the artic circle of Coruscant. The spaceport had as bad a reputation as the rest of the area, and was well known as a gathering place for smugglers and space pirates. No one went there at night, and only the brave during the day. It was the type of area that the officials refused to admit existed, that everyone wished would just go away. Those set to try and keep the peace at D-point were as corrupt as the inhabitants, and now Hematite was asking her to go there, at midnight no less. 

Hikari-No was not afraid. She was a Jedi, albeit just a Padawan, but she was still a Jedi with the Force on her side. She would go, and she would battle Hematite. *Star looked nervous, and the two girls exchanged a glance, worry showing clearly in their eyes.

Master Haruna recovered quickly, her eyes flashing dangerously as she called the class to order. Hikari-No looked around, and noticed for the first time that a number of the other students were saying that they were going to go up to D-point to witness the battle. They all seemed to want to watch Sailor Coruscant and maybe have the chance to help her defeat Hematite. Hikari-No was amazed, she had never realised that anyone would feel that way. She blushed at the whispered comments of some of the boys, especially the ones regarding her Senshi fuku, and how she and *Star looked as the Sailor Senshi. 

"What's wrong, Little Miko?" Ura-Giri whispered to Hikari-No, shaking her arm. 

"I have a bad feeling about this. Something terrible is going to happen tonight", she whispered, more to herself than him. He looked over at her quizzically, and she realised what it was she had said. The last of her fear dispersed as she looked over at the other student and forced herself to smile. "Sorry", she apologised, "I just worry for Sailor Coruscant. She carries all our hopes now."

He shook his head and was about to say something when Master Haruna interrupted, and they both looked up to meet her glance. 

"The Council has just informed me that under no circumstances are any students allowed to leave the Temple tonight. A curfew will be in place from sunset, and all Padawans must stay with their Masters. I will hear no more mention of Sailor peoples or battles or anything. Now", she turned back to the front of the classroom and made a small gesture towards the students, "Can anyone tell me the answer to this problem?"

Hikari-No did not answer, lost in her own thoughts, suddenly wide awake. 'Palomene, what am I to do?' her mind whispered.

"Hikari-No", Master Haruna flicked her hair and stared down at the small girl, frowning at her inattention, "The Council wishes to speak with you now."

That was odd. Why would they want to see her? They must know about how she had to get out of the Temple that night. Hikari-No gathered up her things, and with a quick bow to her teacher, left the room, ignoring *Star's worried thoughts. 

She walked quietly into the room, and looked around at the stern faces of the Jedi Council, not entirely sure what to expect. Twelve seats were spaced around the room, and as she glanced over at her Master, Hikari-No saw the expression on his face and nearly backed away in fear. She had never seen him so angry before, he was supposed to be a Jedi Master, and never give in or display his emotions. She wondered what she had done to so upset him.

"We have a task for you, Hikari-No Miko", spoke Master Genki, who had once been her teacher. She turned around to him and bowed low, forcing herself to smile. That did not make sense. If all the Council wanted was to ask her to do some odd task around the Palace, why did her Master look so full of anger?

"I am the servant of the Council, Master Genki", she answered dutifully, trying to sort out the puzzle in her mind. Dimly, she was aware of Palomene warning her to be careful and give nothing away, and Hikari-No realised that the Masters would be probing her mind to test her abilities.

"We wish for you to carry a message to Jedi Master Riyu, who is staying with the Senator from the planet Ifwahke. It is a matter of great importance to us that you take the message to him this afternoon, although you will be granted a place to stay the night so that you do not break the curfew that is currently in place here at the Temple." 

She remembered suddenly that the Senator from Ifwahke lived in a series of apartments on the north side of Coruscant, and bit her lip for a moment, as she sought to find the courage to ask her question.

"Why can this message not be sent via commlink?"

He seemed prepared for this. "The contents of the message are of a sensitive nature, and must be delivered in person. You would do better not to question the motives of the Council, Padawan."

She blushed and bowed her head in shame, mumbling an apology. Hikari-No looked down at her feet in embarrassment, and so she did not see as Master Genki suddenly looked around at the other Jedi Masters in shock, trying to ascertain if what he had just been asked was agreed to by all. His gaze stopped on Mi-Rai Shinwa, who was adamant in his demand. Finally, Master Yoda nodded, and Master Genki turned back to Hikari-No.

"It is the wish of the Council that you take with you the Jedi Padawan *Star Fallus. Hopefully you will be able to keep each other out of trouble." Master Genki gestured to an aide, who brought over a sealed message that was handed to Hikari-No. She looked up at the Council once more, bowed to the group, and waiting for their dismissal. "May the Force be with you," Master Genki said, and she turned to return to class.

"What is the matter, Little Miko?" 

She smiled and looked down at her work. "Nothing", she whispered, "I am just a little worried."

"What did the Council want with you?" He passed over his notes to her, and she started to copy the work she had missed, noting almost absently that she did understand it and should be able to duplicate the result in an exam if pressed.

"They asked me to take a message up to a Jedi staying with the Ifwahke Senator." 

"Isn't the Ifwahke Senatorial Palace close to D-point?" He asked perhaps a little too loudly for the library. She hushed him, and nodded her head silently. "It is not safe for you to be up there, Little Miko. You heard, there is going to be a battle there tonight."

"I do not think the Council would put me in any danger. *Star will be with me, so we should be safe." He shook his head, and inwardly she was pleased that he would be worried about her. Perhaps he did like her after all. She finished the last sentence and closed her book, passing his back to him and smiling down at her toes. 

He stood and the two walked out of the library, heading back to her rooms where she had said she would meet *Star. 

"I wish you would stay away from that place. I don't want you to get hurt." If he noticed the faint blush on her cheeks he did not mention it. 

"I will be fine, Ura-Giri." 

They walked in silence for a time, each lost in their own thoughts of what would happen that night. Hikari-No silently wished to the Force that she would survive to return to the Temple and Ura-Giri the next day. 

After a time that seemed to short to her they were at her room, and she suddenly realised that this might be the last time she would ever see him. "I will speak with you tomorrow."

"Do you promise?" he asked her, grinning back at her small smile.

"Of course." She took his hand and gave it a small squeeze.

He paused for a moment before removing his lightsaber from his belt and handing it to her. "I want you to take this", he said, "just in case something happens."

She saw the faint worry in his eyes and nodded. "I will not need it, but I know that you will not give in on this. I will give you back your weapon tomorrow, and you will see that you had nothing to worry about."

"Be careful, Little Miko", he said before starting down the corridor away from her.

"Goodbye Ura-Giri", she said back, "and may the Force be with you."

She opened to door to see her Master waiting for her. She embraced him warmly, and some of the anger in his eyes dissipated. As she looked him over, she realised that he looked older than she remembered, he definitely had more grey hairs than she recalled there being before. He held her fiercely for a long time, and she was glad, realising that this was a type of goodbye, though her Master did not know what she had to face this night.

Eventually, she stepped back, and looked up at his eyes, relieved to see that the anger had faded from them.

"Master, what was wrong earlier, with the Council? Why did you look so upset?" Her voice seemed small to her, and she wished that she could adequately explain her fears to him.

"I do not agree with the others. I do not see the task they set you as important enough to risk loosing you over. I do not understand what is going to happen up at D- point tonight, but I see no reason why this could not be put off until tomorrow."

She hugged him again, not caring about the display of emotion. "Master, do not worry. *Star and I can take care of ourselves, you know that."

"It does not stop me from worrying about you, Little One. You are my Padawan, it's my job to worry about you."

She grinned at him, knowing what he left unsaid. "I love you too, Master. Tomorrow, I will return, and you will see that you were foolish to spend all night worrying about me."

He held her tightly, and she suddenly found herself close to tears. Hikari-No wished to the Force that if something happened to her, her Master would be alright. She did not want him to be sad because of her, that would not be right.

There was a gentle tapping at the door, and Hikari-No realised that *Star was waiting for her. She opened the door and smiled at the other Padawan, who was carrying a bag, no doubt loaded up with everything her Master thought she would need for the overnight trip. "Are you ready?" she asked Hikari-No, who turned back to her Master one last time, looking at him and trying to sear her final image of him in her mind so that she would always remember him this way, no matter what happened.

"Do not stay up all night worrying, Master", she said, taking a step backwards towards the door. Finally he smiled at her, and she knew that everything was going to work out fine.

"Be careful, my Little One", he said by way of farewell.

She took a deep breath and walked out of her apartment, her hand unconsciously seeking *Star's as they walked together down to the speeder bay. 

"You realise that this is a trap", *Star said as Hikari-No piloted them towards the Ifwahke Senator's apartments. Buildings flashed by as the air speeder travelled the length of the planet, headed northwards at a velocity that would alarm anyone who did not realise that a Jedi was driving.

"It is not as though he gave us much of a choice in the matter. Hematite said that he would kill everyone unless we came and fought him." She kept her eyes forward, and tried to control her tears that were threatening to spill over.

"Actually, he said that was what he was going to do if you failed to turn up. He never said anything about me." Hikari-No heard the worry in her friend's voice and suddenly realised that what she said was true. 

"*Star, I am so sorry. I should have made them let you stay in the Temple. This is not your battle to fight." 

*Star laughed, and tried to sound brave. "I would not miss out on this for the world. Just you wait and see, we're going to kick Hematite back to the Dark Kingdom where he belongs. And besides", she added with a toss of her beautiful chestnut hair, "I wouldn't want you to get all the credit for this. Sailor Star is at least as good a warrior as Sailor Coruscant."

Hikari-No smiled. "You will not get any arguments about that from me. I know you are a better fighter than I am. I certainly would not have lasted this long against the Dark Kingdom without your help."

As she glanced out the side window of the air speeder, Hikari-No realised that the sun was setting. "Only a few hours to go", she said softly to no one in particular. 

As the door slammed shut in front of them, *Star looked over at Hikari-No in confusion. "What was that all about?" she asked softly, for some reason reluctant to raise her voice.

The Senator's staff had been less than polite to the two Jedi Padawans who had come to the door, although somehow Hikari-No had been expecting that reaction. It was still two hours to midnight, and the nerves in her stomach were beginning to make her feel ill.

"I am not certain, but I suspect the Council knew that this was going to happen."

"If they knew that we were going to be treated so rudely, why did they not just send a droid to deliver their precious message?"

"Because if they had done that, we would not this close to D-point now."

*Star considered it, as Hikari-No lead them back to the speeder. "Do you think that they know about us being the Sailor Senshi?"

Hikari-No pondered it, running one hand through her hair and pulling the end of her braid up to her mouth where she sucked on it thoughtfully. "I do not know. I suspect that when we get back we should have a long talk with the Council about all this."

"They are Jedi, whatever did you expect?" asked Palomene, and both girls smiled at the sudden appearance of the Guardian. Not for the first time Hikari-No wished she could reach out and touch the distant woman. She wondered silently how the Guardian could project her image so far from where ever it was that her body actually lived.

"Where have you been?" asked *Star petulantly, stamping one foot before ducking her head to get into the speeder.

"Trying to understand. You have no idea how abstract the prophesies can be. I have no idea what is supposed to happen tonight. Everything from us finding the Princess to her death and the end of the world is linked to Sailor Coruscant fighting Hematite. And even I am confused by all this sudden talk of shadows and the mark of the Sapphire Millennium." Hikari-No did not understand what Palomene was talking about and said so. The Guardian sighed, her dress shifting from purple to blue to red in rapid succession. "The Princess will be identified by the fact that she has a special birthmark on her forehead, a circle inside a heart. It was the crest of the Sapphire Millennium, and a powerful symbol on it's own. It is what is engraved on your locket, Hikari-No."

*Star looked over, worry in her eyes. "You said that Sailor Coruscant would fight Hematite, not me. Why?" she asked, her voice so calm that Hikari-No was suddenly afraid.

"I do not know why you will not fight him with her. All I know is that she has to face him alone." Palomene gave a small shrug, and gestured that Hikari-No start the speeder and go on to D-point. She put her hands in her lap.

"That does not make any sense. If *Star is not going to fight, I do not want her to be here. She could too easily get hurt."

"You can't let me out of this that easily", *Star countered, "We're a team, remember? You go, I go, it's that simple. Besides, prophesies have been wrong before, there is nothing that says this one will be absolutely correct."

"Friends forever", Hikari-No smiled and took the hand that *Star held out to her, "We shall defeat him together."

"Then go, Sailor Senshi", Palomene ordered them, "I will check back with you both later on. For now, go and fight back against the Dark Kingdom. It is time to take a stand against them."

Filled with new confidence and hope, Hikari-No found their enthusiasm contagious. "Then let us go meet our destiny."

Palomene gave them one last grin before disappearing. "May the Force be with you both", she laughed.

"Now what?" *Star asked Hikari-No, giving her a gentle nudge.

She sighed. "On to D-point."

It was cold. Sailor Coruscant found herself wishing that her uniform provided just a little more protection from the weather here at D-point. It was odd how she had not realised that it would be cold here above the artic circle. She supposed that she was so used to the unusually calm weather that the rest of the planet enjoyed that she had forgotten what extremes could be found around her.

Sailor Star stood by her side, and together the two waited in the deserted spaceport, wondering where the people had gone. Usually even a spaceport in an area such as this would be busy at night, and yet there was not a person in sight, the echoing hallways seemed endless, and the cold permeated every aspect of her body.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Sailor Star whispered the words, but they seemed to fill the air, drowning out all their other senses. Sailor Coruscant tried to use the Force to see if Hematite had arrived yet, and was not surprised to see that he was not visible to her senses. 

She sighed. "I do too, but there is little we can do about this. We have no other choice."

Sailor Star gave her a sudden smile. "We could go back to the Temple and hide under our beds until Coruscant is destroyed and we all die."

Sailor Star's enthusiasm was infectious and Sailor Coruscant found herself joining in despite herself. "Yes", she grinned, "or we could destroy it ourselves. One nice, big, warm explosion." She shivered in the cold.

"Let's take out the entire Galaxy while we're at it."

The smile fell from Sailor Coruscant's face as she saw something moving in the shadows ahead of them.

"What is it?" Sailor Star whispered, noticing her distraction.

"A trap." She thought it was a youma moving towards them, but she could not be certain.

"Then let us go spring it. We came here to spring Hematite's traps, let's get to it so that we can all go home." For a brief moment she recognised the being up ahead as her Master, and she took a step towards him.

"No." Her voice was little more than a breath of air.

"Master Kum-Kwat?" Star asked of the insubstantial air before them, "Is it really you?" She started walking forwards. "You see, Sailor Coruscant? My Master is here, everything will be fine now."

Sailor Coruscant tried to take a step forwards, to stop Sailor Star from her path, but her limbs were like lead and she found that she could not move. "*Star", she called, "it is a trap. That is not your Master, it is a youma. *Star, come back here, it is not safe."

But Sailor Star would not turn back from her path, and when Sailor Coruscant was released from the insubstantial bindings that had held her in place she ran forward to try and stop Sailor Star from making the mistake that her confused mind had lead her to choose. "Please *Star!" she cried in desperation, even as the five youma appeared through the walls of the spaceport hall to reach out with their tentacled arms to take Sailor Star in their deadly embrace. 

Sailor Coruscant threw her arms outward with all her power, even as Sailor Star realised what had happened and felt the first strains of her energy being drained away. A flash of fire enveloped her body, and Sailor Star called upon her power in one last blast, crying out "Infrit Brimstone, Surround" without any control over the magical attack. It's power burned her even as it destroyed the youma that held her, and when she fell to the ground at last, Sailor Coruscant reached her side. She felt Sailor Star's life- Force flicker one last time and die, and her eyes closed.

"No", Sailor Coruscant whispered, "*Star, do not leave me."

But her friend was silent and still, and Sailor Coruscant realised that she was crying, as she brushed *Star's burnt hair back from her singed face. She was not be dead, it simply was not possible. Her closest friend on Coruscant could not be dead. She needed *Star, they were going to defeat Hematite together.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, he suddenly appeared in the air before her. "An unfortunate occurrence", he chuckled, "I had hoped to kill Sailor Star myself."

Sailor Coruscant got to her feet, her eyes flashing with anger and grief as she suddenly realised why Palomene had said she would face Hematite alone. "You monster", she whispered to him, "How could you do this to her?" She did not expect an answer, reaching for her Crystal Staff, prepared to fight him at last.

"She was of no importance." He threw a bolt of dark energy at her, and she leapt over it, not caring about what it destroyed behind her. 

"She was my friend. I will not let her death go unavenged."

"That is hardly a Jedi's attitude." She tossed a ball of blue energy at him, and it knocked him back several feet.

"I am Sailor Coruscant, the champion of love and justice. You will not defeat me, Hematite." The words were a whisper, a promise to *Star, and to everyone else who had ever suffered at the hands of the Dark Kingdom. Including all those who had died generations ago in the Sapphire Millennium.

A glowing sword appeared in Hematite's hand, and for a moment she was convinced that it was in fact a lightsaber. Then she saw that it was instead made of some metal alloy that glowed faintly in the darkness around them.

"You will pay for what you have done to me, Sailor Coruscant", he snarled at her, and leapt forward, his sword raised. Instinctively, she stepped to one side, bringing up her staff to turn aside his blade. She turned all her energy to the Force, using it to guide her movements so that she would be able to prevent him from killing her. She was amazed at how the Crystal Staff was strong enough to withstand the strength of Hematite's attacks.

His blade became locked against her Staff somehow, and she whispered softly, "What have I ever done to you?"

He snarled again, and kicked her hard, so that she fell to the floor. She quickly jumped up over the blast of energy that he sent at her, calling on her own magic to distract him for a time. He closed on her again, and she took a step backward as she tried to think about Ura-Giri's lightsaber, to call it to her aid from where she had put it. She could not find the focus she needed to bring it forth, and so she was required to parry his strokes with the Staff again. She knew full well that she was at a disadvantage against him, but could not think of a way out of the situation.

He launched a volley of blows at her head that caused her to stagger backwards. "You disgraced me in front of my Queen. You will die this night, Sailor Coruscant", he said, and she reached forward with her staff, attempting to use it to knock his feet out from underneath him. He merely leapt over it and continued his assault upon her.

Sailor Coruscant understood then that this was indeed a final battle, for if Hematite failed to defeat her this night, he would die for his failure to complete the tasks set by his Queen. She understood that this was Hematite's last chance, and his desperation would not let him surrender. Distantly Sailor Coruscant wondered if she would be able to defeat him after all.

She thought of *Star, and found the strength to fight back.

'Hematite.' They both heard the whisper, insidious as it was powerful. Sailor Coruscant realised that this was the voice of the Dark Queen that Palomene had told them about. 'The source of this Senshi's power is the locket she wears on her breast. I want you to give it to me.'

He smiled, seeing an easy way out of the conflict, as Sailor Coruscant took a step back, distantly letting one hand fall from the Staff to check if her locket was still there. 

Hematite executed an acrobatic jump over her head, and by the time she could react and turn around to deflect the blow that was coming, his sword had knocked the Crystal Staff to the ground. She tried desperately to push him backwards with the Force and her power, but it did little good as he stepped through the barrier she had erected and grabbed her locket from the center of her uniform.

The chain snapped with a small tinkling sound, and her Senshi fuku became a stream of brightly coloured ribbons, to be replaced with her Jedi robes once more. She fell to her knees before him, tears flowing freely, no longer Sailor Coruscant, with no further defenses or options. He was going to kill her now, and the galaxy would be enslaved. She had failed everyone, and it seemed as though *Star had died in vain.

So softly that she almost missed it, Hematite whispered the two words that caused the final breaking of her heart.

"Little Miko."

She looked up.

Beyond the tears, deep in her eyes, was a fierce determination and a love that could not be denied. She met his gaze voluntarily for the first time, and for the first time saw what was there. She knew the options, she knew the risks. And she knew what her heart told her was true.

She made her choice.

Looking deep inside herself, she found that which had always been present, and that she had always known about, without knowing how she knew. She reached for it, but paused a second, knowing that she had something yet to say.

One tear fell, breaking the silence between them.

Even as the bright blue symbol that was her birthright began to shine forth from her forehead, she felt the regret that would never leave her. 

"I am sorry" she said, and then she stood.

In her hands appeared the Staff, and then in a flash of light and the Force, that shook her to her core, the Sapphire Crystal appeared. The tip of the Staff opened like a flower, and the Crystal attached itself to the central focus. She thought that he had gasped, but could not be sure. Her clothes changed, rippling away from her Jedi robes into something different, a long dress of deepest blue.

Her hair began to fly away from her body as though caught in a wind she could not feel. One section braided itself into a crown that sat calmly on her forehead, as though acknowledging her power on its own. In an instant she understood, she understood everything.

Ignoring the commands of his Queen to capture the Crystal and its keeper, the Princess, he leant forward and kissed her, once, his emotions showing clearly in his eyes.

It was the kiss that nearly undid her.

She blinked her eyes once, a million thoughts suddenly crowding into her mind, destroying the calm that had been there a moment ago. Wishes and dreams, hope for the future returned, and she knew that she could never kill him. Behind her somewhere, Palomene arrived, and gasped in sudden recognition.

Holding the Staff to one side, she reached out with her other hand to touch his face, ignoring the Guardian's startled protest. She stepped towards him, and closed her eyes, savouring his taste as she kissed him again. It was just as she had dreamt, only better somehow. He was everything and she knew in her heart that she loved him, but as she took one small step backwards, she thought about him for a moment, trying to remember every detail and sear them in her mind, never to be forgotten.

'The Dark Side and the Light can never be joined.'

Ignoring the cry of her own grief-stricken heart, she raised the Staff in her left hand and called upon the Crystal's power, not trusting herself to speak, merely letting the Force and the power flow through her into him.

He cried out in pain, and one tear, then another, fell. There was to be no battle between them. She held the Staff above her head, the Crystal's light growing, spreading out to encompass everything. 

She was the power, she was the galaxy. Every fibre of her body belonged to the whole. She had never felt such a powerful connection to the Force before. It was her and she was it, joined forever in a bond that could not be broken. 

The Evil One stood before her, and she made the power flow into him, burning him with its light. He cried out in pain, and in desperation, a part of her screamed out for the power to let him be, to leave him because she loved him, but at the same time, a part of her craving vengeance made the power stronger.

It burned him, tore him apart into a million pieces and destroyed the Darkness within. For a brief instant, he was free of its shadow and she knew that he was thanking her, but without the Darkness' power he could no longer exist, and so he vanished, his body not even turning to dust.

In the thrall of the Crystal's power, she reached out further, banishing the Dark Kingdom's minions, sending them spiralling through the gate that she could see in her mind. Around Coruscant, people looked up to see a flash of startling blue light, and when it left them, they suddenly found themselves feeling happier then they had ever experienced. No soul was left untouched by this sudden disturbance in the Force. It purified all it touched, and many remembered forever this day. 

*Star awoke, as though from a deep sleep, and smiled as she realised that Hikari-No had succeeded, remembering nothing of what had happened to her.

In her heart, the Princess Amaterasu knew that she never would forget this moment.

Then she saw the gate in all its beauty and its darkness, and she realised that it seemed to symbolise both sides of the spinning coin before her. She would not allow the Dark Queen to send forth her minions again to terrorise the people of the Galaxy. It was up to her to protect everyone, so that her pain and sacrifice would never again be needed.

She would do this for her friends.

Faces flashed through her mind, all of them counting on her. Catherine and the Princess of Domus Prime; *Star and the other Jedi; her friend Jester and his rubber chicken; the Riddler, a young man whom she had only met once but remembered well; her Master and the Council. Then she saw others whom she knew she would one day meet, who would have a profound influence on her life, and though she did not know their names, she would never forget their faces. A youth, whose eyes were red with rage as he fought like a berserker to save his friends; a handmaiden from Domus Prime, fingering the lightsaber hanging at her belt; a handsome pilot who stood with a woman who looked like her but was not; a quiet man who could not see the Force as Light and Dark.

For them, she would close the gate forever.

Concentrating fiercely, she sent the Crystal's power into the gate, sealing it, even as the Crystal's strength faltered and she fed it with her own. When at last she knew that it was over and the Dark Kingdom forever banished from the galaxy did she try to contain the Crystal's power. 

But she had no strength left to stop it. The blue energy engulfed her, and Princess Amaterasu's last thought before she died was one of relief, now her friends could live in peace.

*Star was the one to find Hikari-No, lying alone in a crater in the area of Coruscant that had been demolished by the battle. She was alive, though her body was battered almost beyond recognition. Her robes were burnt, and her hair was singed at the ends, her braid, tied back neatly, seemed to have escaped most of the damage. Her calm face was smudged with soot, and for a moment *Star believed that there was a long scar, not unlike those a blaster graze, on Hikari-No's right cheek. 

The only thing about her that was untouched was her locket, the one that she used to transform into Sailor Coruscant. It shone as though new, the pretty gems sparkling in the pale morning light. *Star saw that Palomene knelt by the side of her Princess, and started to cry.

As she slept, Hikari-No clutched Ura-Giri's lightsaber to her, not wanting to remember what she had done, not wanting to forget why she had done it. 


	9. Chapter 9

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter Nine

"Afterward,  
The path divides,  
Because of the choice of the Child."

"One shows the triumph of the Dark,  
And the death of the one who would save us."

"In the other the Shadow will die and return,  
And the consequences of the choice shall weigh heavily upon her."

"Watch for Coruscant's Shadow,  
And teach her to be strong.  
Do not let her learn to love,  
For her love will lead her to pain beyond imagining."

"The one whom she loves will betray her,  
And it is only her love that will save him."

"All depends on the One who makes the Choice,  
Do not allow her to take her own life,  
For she is the key to the Kingdom."

-From the writings of Kassanda, Mau.

Hikari-No had not moved since that night, she was still lying there, like one of the dead. Her Master sat in constant vigil, and he saw how she was able to use the Force to sustain herself, but he was rapidly beginning to lose hope that his apprentice would ever come out of her depression. All of her thoughts were centred on that boy, the one that had given in to the Dark Side and had fought her that night. She regretting killing him, and Mi-Rai understood that.

It was hard, knowing what had happened, not to wish for a chance to change matters. But Mi-Rai did not comprehend why Hikari-No seemed to feel the way she did. When he tried to see past her mindshield all he could sense was a great sadness, a feeling of responsibility that seemed to be crushing her, and above all else, a hatred of herself that seemed to overshadow every other emotion that he had ever witnessed. It seemed to burn in her eyes, which were fixed upon the window. The only movement in her room came from Hikari-No occasionally blinking her eyes. 

Mi-Rai could not understand how any person could feel such loathing for herself. It was a painful emotion, and he was worried of what his Padawan might do if he left her alone. When he did leave her side, it was only after she was in the company of another person. 

Her friend, *Starinia Fallus had come to speak with Hikari-No a few times, and yesterday had come to say goodbye, for she was returning to her home world of Durillion. *Starinia had been the other person with Hikari-No that night, although she had told the Council that she had been knocked unconscious by Ura-Giri before he had fought Hikari-No and so could give them no other information about the events leading up to her finding Hikari-No some time later. 

The younger girl had been found, lying in a crater, the landscape of D-point around her being destroyed as though in a great battle. No one knew what powers Ura-Giri had used against her, but it was generally accepted by all who had been there since to investigate that Hikari-No had been lucky to escape with her life. 

*Starinia had spoken to Hikari-No several times, each time trying to get the other girl to begin to function as a normal person again. Neither wanted to remember that night, and although *Starinia wanted to understand the meaning of the strange dream that had filled her mind before awakening, she knew somehow that it would pain Hikari-No more if she asked. And so, *Starinia had sat there for a time, not speaking, just sitting with Hikari-No, keeping her company and watching out the window with her friend. But Hikari-No would no move or talk with *Starinia, and gradually the visits had decreased in frequency as she lost interest or was distracted by class work. 

The day she had come to say goodbye was fairly uneventful. *Starinia had heard the news from the Council in the morning, and spent most of the afternoon spreading gossip around the Temple and trying to convince the boys to give her goodbye kisses. And when she had come to speak with Hikari-No, she had asked the Jedi Master to leave them alone, and he had grudgingly complied. 

*Starinia spoke to Hikari-No for some time, and though he did not hear what she was saying, there was something about her tone that unnerved him. She had sounded so serious, and there was something in her voice akin to fear. And later, when he had come into the room to sit by Hikari-No's side and watch the sunset, he could have sworn he had heard a voice whispering, maybe on the wind, or maybe through the Force, one word: Princess. Little more than a sigh, the word seemed to him to be a promise, or a shadow of things to come. 

Mi-Rai would not admit it to anyone, but he was frightened that Hikari-No might take her own life. She had seemed so distant in the few weeks leading up to that night, he wondered that if he had spent more time with her, this might have had a different outcome. Certainly she would not have had such difficulty subduing another Padawan, even if that one had turned to the Dark Side. Idly, he wondered what her attachment to him had been. 

Hikari-No would not cry. She refused to let herself give in. 

There had to be another way, she could bring him back. 

But he was dead, as *Star had been, and she did not know what she had done to bring *Star back. 

She thought about it, even as the sun moved slowly on its path. 

She remembered that night so vividly, if she was to close her eyes she knew that she would see it again, see the look on his face as she killed him. But she had to stop the Dark Queen, she had to stop the Dark Kingdom, and the only way to do that was to remove their agent, the General Hematite. 

She could remember every detail of his face, and his beautiful eyes, flashing with gratitude as she set his spirit free from the Dark King's manipulations. It was the acceptance and happiness in his eyes that made her wish it all undone. She would have done anything for those eyes, but to see him thanking her for killing him was too much, the image was burned into her mind. 

She had loved him, and she had destroyed him. 

"I must ask you not to do this", Mi-Rai Shinwa protested to the other Council members. The sun was slowly sinking below the horizon before him, and though he stood respectfully, his words were full of emotion that he would not suppress. 

"We must find out what happened that night if we are ever to understand what took place and the power that was employed seemingly by both sides in this battle." answered Umino Genki, shaking his head, "your Padawan refuses to come before us and speak, and we must know what took place if we are ever to study this side of the Force." 

"I will not allow you to invade her mind and steal those memories. That is an action against everything the Jedi stand for, and the Code forbids it. Will you so readily do that which you prohibit?" Mi-Rai steeped forward aggressively, and the one Dark Jedi on the Council noted this with a nod of his head. But he did not speak. 

Umino spoke with a tone of profound regret. "Your Padawan must explain to us what took place so that we may account for the events of that night to the Senate. A large section of D-point, although abandoned, was still levelled in that attack. People are asking questions, and we do not appreciate not having the answers." 

"The people are saying that the mysterious Sailor Senshi were the ones who fought, not my Padawan." Mi-Rai shook his head. He knew that they would not listen to him, though he held an equal rank and ability to most on the Council. 

"But the mysterious Sailor Senshi are not here. Hikari-No Miko is, and we would like her to answer our questions. We have given you more than enough time to prepare her for a meeting, and yet you still refuse to allow us to speak with her. This Council will take whatever action is necessary to protect the people of Coruscant." 

'Even if it means sacrificing one girl', Mi-Rai thought to himself. Aloud he said, "Hikari-No was directly responsible for the death of a fellow student, one she had been quite close to. Her depression has lead her to the edge of madness, and what you are proposing will surely push her over. All I ask is that you give me a little more time before you go tearing through her mindshield to find your answers." 

There was a long moment of silence as the others conferred. Umino nodded. "We will give you one more week. Then we shall have our answers." 

He had a week in which to snap Hikari-No out of her depression, before the Council did that which was so abhorrent to him and take by force what they wanted from her mind. Mi-Rai knew his apprentice, it would not be easy for her to overcome her grief at the death of Ura-Giri Koibito. 

Ura-Giri Koibito. 

Hematite. 

The Padawan who had been one of her closest friends, and her secret wish. She had forgiven him his betrayal as quickly as it happened, and would probably have not fought him that night if it had not been for *Star. When she had sat there, holding her friend's scorched body in her arms, that was when she realised that she could defeat him. But it had not been enough. 

He had taken her locket, it had broken, and the magic was scattered. She was on her knees before him, and he smirked down at her, as though daring her to beg for her life. Then there was an instant, a moment of eternity, in which he realised, and admired her for it, and she knew that everything would turn out alright. he knew, and would not kill her, no matter what his Queen demanded. 

But knowing that he was her enemy had broken her heart. She heard them calling, and knew what to do at last. That was when she had given in to her emotions, and one tear had fallen. From that tear emerged the Sapphire Crystal, and she had been revealed as the Princess Amaterasu, traditional heir to the Sapphire Millennium, an ancient kingdom that had spanned the Galaxy, centred at Coruscant. 

She had never wanted to be the Princess. All she had wanted was to be a Jedi, a warrior for good, like her Master. And yet, she had found herself first as Sailor Coruscant, a magical warrior who could manipulate the Force in ways Hikari-No could never manage on her own, and then as the Princess, one who, according to Palomene's prophecies, was meant to one day rule the Galaxy. 

She certainly was not suited to rule a single planet, let alone the Galaxy. Besides that, the Senate was now in charge of that, what good would resurrecting a long-dead kingdom do that they could not? She was just a normal teenage girl, who would never be normal again because she had killed the first boy she had fallen in love with. 

And for what? So that others could be happy, and she was lying here all alone. They were afraid of her, of what she had become. They had all left her, for they knew what she was. 

Murderer. 

Palomene tried to reason with the Princess, to get her to come out of her depression and start talking again. But she could no longer get past the Princess' mindblock, which was now stronger than any she had seen before, it was most likely augmented by the Sapphire Crystal's strength. And so she had stayed with the Princess, waiting for the Jedi to leave her side. Palomene had not counted on his dedication to his student, for he had not left the two of them alone once since it had happened. 

Palomene had contented herself with speaking to *Star, who still remembered little of what had taken place that night. Palomene herself was a little unsure about the details, only she knew that Hematite had died and the Dark Kingdom was gone. As far as the other Guardians had been able to determine, they could never enter the Galaxy through that particular gate again, although one of the seers had said that there were other entrances and that the Dark Kingdom would never stop in its quest until the entire Galaxy was under their control. 

For now, the Princess had returned to them and the Sapphire Crystal with her, and all Palomene had to do was convince her that there was still a crown to be taken up. Hikari-No had demonstrated her suitability to be Princess Amaterasu when she had unleashed the full power of the Crystal upon the enemy, and was not herself consumed by it's flame. She had broken down the barrier between life and death to bring Sailor Durillion back, and had survived herself. No one in the history of the Sapphire Millennium had ever done that before, not even her ancestor the last Queen. Idly, Palomene wondered if the Princess Amaterasu was the soul of the great Queen reborn at last, although none of the prophecies had mentioned that. 

But as she looked down on her Princess, Palomene suddenly saw what had been overlooked by the Guardians for so long. Although she was the Princess Amaterasu, heir to the Sapphire Millennium, bearer of the mystical Sapphire Crystal and Sailor Senshi of Coruscant, Hikari-No Miko was still little more than a child, for all that she had always been very mature. And Palomene realised then what Hikari-No had felt for Hematite, the same feelings she had experienced so long ago, and yet because of her sense of duty and responsibility, Hikari-No had been forced to kill him, even though her heart protested. And now she had to deal with her guilt. 

Guilt. 

That was the right word for it. 

She felt guilty. 

She had killed him, without any remorse at the time, because that was what she had to do. But now, when she thought about it, she found herself wondering if she might not have been able to talk with him, to make him see reason and change sides. She could have used the power of the Crystal to sustain him, she now knew how to do that, as soon as she thought of it the Crystal had told her how to go about it. But it was too late now, for he was already dead, and though at night she reached out with her power, to try and find him and bring him back, she could not, he was gone from her senses. 

Maybe together they would have been able to defeat the Dark Queen, without him having died. Maybe she could have used the power of the Crystal on him less strongly, used it to heal, rather than simply to banish the evil presences from his soul. Once he was freed from their grasp, he would have simply been Ura-Giri, and she could have been Hikari-No. Things would have been so much simpler. 

But now he was gone, and it was all her fault. 

In her mind she shivered at an unnatural breeze that created a sudden chill in her room. She wished that they would leave her, she did not wish to speak with any of them right now. Although there were many people around her, she did not have the strength or inclination to speak with any of them. 

She had never felt so alone. 

Hikari-No looked so calm, Mi-Rai realised, as he reached out a hand to brush her long hair, as he had done so many times before. For an instant he thought he saw her flinch at his touch, and he wondered again what had happened to his Padawan to bring her to this point. 

Another message for her from Domus Prime had arrived this morning. He was still a little surprised that the friendship between his Padawan and the princess Catherine from that planet had lasted this long, normally people drifted apart after such time without actual contact. And yet the two girls had been firm friends for years now, and although he thought it was somewhat unusual, he was glad that Hikari-No had someone like Catherine to talk to. 

He had told Hikari-No about the message when it arrived, but she made no response, and so he had placed the capsule with the others for her to look at when she was feeling better. He had considered playing the message for her, but knew that she normally liked to listen them alone, when she had time to think about and formulate an immediate reply. She would not appreciate him listening either, although she generally told him the content of her correspondences. 

He thought again about the Council's deadline. He had carefully informed Hikari-No about what they intended, but either she felt no emotion about planned invasion of her mind and privacy, or she did not fear what the Council could do to her. Perhaps her mind welcomed the chance to escape, and when they broke through her mindshield and made her relive the memories of that night it would probably give her to chance she had been looking for. He knew only a little of what Hikari-No had been thinking, but he greatly feared the consequences of what would happen in the next week. 

Mi-Rai Shinwa loved Hikari-No more than a daughter, and it honestly frightened him to see her so horribly depressed, trapped in her own mind as she fought to resolve the events that had taken place into something that make sense. 

But perhaps the most terrifying thing about what he saw when he looked at Hikari-No's thoughts was the serene feeling of something other, a sense of blueness that seemed to be watching over her, a part of Hikari-No that he had never seen in all the years that she had been open to him, a cold consciousness that above all else appeared to be guarding her from harm. What it was, he did not know, nor did he feel he would ever understand. He wanted to reach out and help Hikari-No, but whenever he tried this other consciousness that he sensed, as cold and multifaceted as a crystal, had prevented him from doing so. And so, all Mi-Rai could do was watch and hope. 

Once again his eyes were drawn to the strange locket on the bedside table. When they found Hikari-No, she had been holding it clutched in one hand, even as she had held Ura-Giri Koibito's lightsaber to her chest with the other. They had placed the 'saber away for safekeeping, but she had been allowed to keep the locket, primarily because no one else had seemed to notice it. As Mi-Rai looked at it, he realised that it should have a chain, something pretty, not too fancy, just a simple silver chain so that she could wear it about her neck. 

When Mi-Rai reached over to pick up the piece of jewellery, a blue spark leapt from it to his hand, and he started at the sudden pain. He looked again at the design on the front, and wondered why it seemed so familiar. A black circle over a heart of purest white, and at the center five coloured gems evenly spaced. The background was blue, and Mi-Rai felt that he should recognise the emblem. Not for the first time, he wondered where his Padawan had acquired the locket. He tried again to retrieve it from the nightstand, and when it again shocked him, he decided to leave it alone. He would ask Hikari-No about it when she recovered. 

Mi-Rai suddenly wondered if his presence with her was really helping Hikari- No. It did not seem that way, for all that he spent all his time with her, and could not remember the last time he had slept. She was still as cold as that first day, and he was beginning to feel that time was going to be an issue, not just because of the Council's deadline. Hikari-No was slipping away from him even without their interference, and he had the impression that the more he tried to reach for her, the more of her would fade from sight, like sand sliding through his fingers, to never be recovered. 

And now she did not even had her friend *Starinia here to talk with, to comfort her where he could not. Those two had been her closest friends, *Starinia Fallus and Ura-Giri Koibito. And now she had lost them both. She must feel so alone. 

Mi-Rai went into the next room, always keeping Hikari-No in his sight as he sat down to compose a message to Catherine. 

If the Crystal is so powerful, why can it not turn back time? 

She knew even as she asked her question that it could indeed do so, provided that the bearer had enough energy and was prepared to sacrifice her own life to do so. And what would it accomplish, if time had been changed and she had made sure he had survived if she could not ensure that he could remain alive? She would gladly have given her life so that he could live, but it simply was not possible. 

Her thoughts told her that she should be crying, but she would not give in to it, would show no weakness. She was not worthy of him, she had never deserved him, and yet she could still faintly taste him on her lips where he had kissed her, just once, in an instant of magic that had not been precipitated by any magic crystals or powers. Just two people, realising their love for one another. 

Although a part of her longed to cry over him, to miss him more than life itself, the rest of her knew that she was not good enough to shed tears for him, for he had loved her and she had used her powers to destroy his being, until there had been nothing left to show he had ever existed but a lightsaber and the memory of a kiss. 

Palomene sighed. "Princess", she breathed, a wish for Hikari-No to answer. 

For a moment, it seemed as though the Jedi Master had seen her, and she was a little worried, for how would he interpret her presence but as a threat to his Padawan? Palomene trusted the Jedi very little, but she respected their understanding of the Force, particularly the living Force, made up of all living things. And her Princess loved this Jedi dearly, so perhaps there were individuals amongst the order that were not so bad. 

Still, she wished the Princess would answer her calls. 

She pushed her thoughts against the walls in Hikari-No's mind, and was surprised when the Crystal relented and let her through. 

'Hikari-No?' Palomene asked, cautious of what might happen now. 

'Oh', came the faint answer, 'it is you.' 

'Hikari-No, everyone is very worried about you.' 

There was a long pause, as Hikari-No thought about this. When she replied, Palomene thought she saw a hint of blue anger on the words. 'Are they worried about me, or are they worried about your precious Princess?' The words were bitter, angry, and yet there was a steel to Hikari-No's mind-voice that Palomene had never heard before. 

'Hikari-No, I was wrong', Palomene began, as she suddenly realised and understood what she had been doing wrong, 'The Kingdom is important, to be sure, but it was never important enough to risk losing you. You, Hikari-No Miko, the little Jedi. I never realised before what the Queen always knew, the individual is always more important than the Kingdom, if even one person was to die unnecessarily, then it would be too many. You knew that all along.' 

'Is the Kingdom so important then that losing *Star would be considered necessary?' Palomene felt a sudden chill at Hikari-No's anger, but she knew that she had to answer truthfully. 

'If she was to die protecting you, then it would be worthwhile. But she did not die.' 

'Did she not?' Hikari-No projected an image, of her cradling *Star's body, to Palomene, so lifelike that it took Palomene a moment before she remembered that *Star was still alive. She gasped at the meaning of this. 

'But, how is this possible?' 

'You said yourself that the Crystal can grant the wishes of the one who possesses it. I simply made some impossible wishes.' Palomene realised that even though it was still Hikari-No she was speaking to, her mannerisms and thoughts seemed more like those of the Princess long ago. 'Now tell me, was it worthwhile for her to die? Does her life mean that little to you?' 

'Of course not. I love *Star dearly, but you are the Princess.' 

'Yes. Princess Amaterasu, the one you have been searching for for twenty-five thousand years. And now that you have found me, what do you want? To recreate a world that died all those years ago? To use me to get your Guardians back into a position of power in the Galaxy? I am not some tool to simply be used by the greedy manipulation of the Guardians. I am tired of being a pawn in your games, Palomene.' 

'You were never a pawn, Hikari-No.' Palomene realised with a start that she was frightened of the anger of Hikari-No's thoughts, and the tinge of madness that accompanied them. Perhaps she had pushed the girl too far. Perhaps she had taken things too far, and now it was too late. Hikari-No had been stretched too thin, now she was close to snapping rather then bending back into shape. 

'It certainly seemed that way to me. I do not wish to be a Princess, I want nothing to do with your Kingdom. The enemy is defeated, that should be enough for you. Go and get on with your life, since you are no longer immortal. Find someone to fall in love with and be happy.' Hikari-No's words sounded so sincere and yet so sad that they brought tears to Palomene's eyes. 

'Hikari-No, you are the Princess. You must-' Palomene began, even as tears began to fall. 

'I will not listen to any more of your demands. I am Hikari-No Miko, nothing more, and all I want from my life is to live in peace, without all this talk of Princesses and power and Guardians. I simply want to be left alone. Now, please, Palomene, go away, and do not come back. Since you came into my life there has been nothing but pain and sadness, and though none of it has been your fault, I do not wish to spend my life living in the shadow of your great dreams. I would like to build my own dreams, and they are very different from yours. 

'I am sorry Palomene. I am sorry I killed Hematite, even though I knew you loved him long ago, and I am sorry for not being the chosen one you were always looking for. Maybe one day one of my children will have the same dreams as you, and they will go on to build your castle and be your Queen, but I am not that person. If I could give away this Crystal, please know that I would, but for some reason it will not listen to all of my wishes. It does not seem to work that way and I am sorry. Goodbye Palomene.' 

Then Palomene found herself being pushed from Hikari-No's mind once again. The Guardian knew that she would not be allowed in again, and she wondered if Hikari-No would ever forgive her for what happened. Palomene stood for a time, watching the girl lie in her death-like state, and made a wish to an ancient goddess that everything would turn out fine for this girl whom she loved for more reasons than simple duty. 

Hikari-No was the perfect embodiment of the Princess, and maybe one day she would realise this and take her place as Queen of Coruscant and the Galaxy. Until then, she would have to live out her own life, for Palomene had fulfilled her duty, and there was nothing more she could do here. Especially as the Princess had given her an order. 

Palomene sighed deeply, a motion that was echoed by the Jedi Master beside her. His eyes met hers for an instant, and she saw understanding. Then Palomene took a deep breath, and went home. 

Had she done the wrong thing in sending Palomene away? 

She regretted her harsh words long after her anger at the Guardian had faded away into the nothingness that seemed to consume her soul. And for a time, she grieved at the loss of the one who had been her constant companion, but at the same time, she knew that she had done what she must in setting Palomene free. What the Guardian would do after this she did not know, all she knew was that she was not going to allow her to spent her entire life serving a dream that would never become a reality. 

And she had meant every word, if not the harsh tone in which they had been said. But that was not entirely her fault, for there seemed to be another voice in her mind, speaking to her as Palomene had, telling her of Kingdoms and crowns. She was beginning to associate this voice with the Crystal, for there was something alien and hard about the way it spoke to her, and she knew that it had not understood when she had told Palomene of the importance of protecting her friends. 

Though she tried to explain, it would not listen, speaking as Palomene had, saying that her life was more important than that of any other. That was not true, the Jedi part of her knew this, every living being was a part of the Force and therefore they all had the same significance, not matter what their rank or supposed mystical destiny. 

She would not listen to the Crystal, no matter what promises it made, and she would certainly never try to use its power again. She would guard it, to be sure, if only to prevent anyone else from making the same mistakes as she had. Whatever else it might be, the Crystal was too powerful to ever be used again without dreadful consequences, and she was terrified of what they would be, for she had already been dead once. 

Catherine walked lightly into the room, her small feet not making any sound against the tiled floors. She had come as quickly as she could, for no one would refuse the request of a Jedi Master, especially one as nice as Master Shinwa. Besides that, he had said that Hikari-No needed her, and she would have travelled twice as far if it had been necessary. His message had been brief to the point of worrying her, but no one on Domus Prime would take serious note of her absence with all that was going on currently, and the Princess had agreed to give her leave. 

The Jedi Master must have sensed her presence, for he looked over from his place by Hikari-No's bed and gave her a warm, if tired, smile. It was then that she saw Hikari-No lying still on the bed, her eyes open and staring out the window, unmoving as if she was dead. Her skin was pale to the point of being frightening, and her eyes seemed to be silver more than blue. Hikari-No's hair seemed somewhat shorter than the last time Catherine had seen it, and although it had been tied back from her face Catherine had the sudden impression that the top section should have been braided. 

Master Shinwa stood from his place at Hikari-No's side, letting go of one bandaged hand, and moved away so that he could talk with Catherine. She had not noticed until then the many bandages that covered her friend's body, and she wondered what had caused them. She felt unexpected tears in her eyes at the sight of her normally quiet and calm friend lying there in such a way. 

"What happened?" Catherine asked in a voice that was little more than a whisper. She had felt that something was wrong on Coruscant for a time, ever since her visit more than two months ago, but had taken no action, believing that Hikari-No could take care of herself. 

"I do not know if I should tell you this, it is normally something that would stay within the Order", the Jedi Master sighed. "One of our students turned to the Dark Side and it was Hikari-No who found out. They fought, and in the end she killed him, although she nearly died in the time following us finding her. She hasn't responded to anything since." 

Catherine looked again at Hikari-No, and knew that there was more that she was not being told. "When two Jedi fight, one does not return with her body covered in burn scars like that." 

He sighed again. "We do not know what happened, only that some form of explosion seemed to have taken place. Have you heard of the Sailor Senshi?" Catherine nodded. "Some of the younger Padawans believe that they were involved somehow, for some of the rumours say that they can create flames and ice out of nothing but the Force and through it at their enemies, but no one really credits this." 

Catherine remembered what she had seen on that day which seemed so long ago now, and realised that Master Shinwa did not know. As she thought about it, she also found that she understood Hikari-No's reasoning. Although it was not her secret to tell, Catherine knew that the Jedi Master had a right to know what may have taken place that night. 

She took a deep breath to steady herself as she sought for the right words to say. "The Sailor Senshi probably were involved that night", she said, looking over at Hikari-No. "What do you know of them?" 

"They are a couple of teenage vigilantes, claiming to fight evil and appearing and disappearing all over Coruscant creating an uproar. It's funny", he mused, "but I haven't heard anything new about them in a while." 

She chose to ignore this comment, her eyes catching sight of the locket on Hikari-No's bedside table. "What do you know about Sailor Coruscant?" 

He shook his head, no doubt wondering where this line of questioning was leading. "She is little more than a girl, with brown hair and blue eyes, running around in a short skirt and knee-high boots with a strange sense of jewellery. Some people say she wears a glowing tiara on her forehead, and others claim that they remember having seen her locket many times before. They say it is blue, with a white heart surrounding a black circle." 

His words trailed off, as he looked over at Hikari-No again, then his eyes trailed off to the locket. 

Catherine nodded her head. "Hikari-No is Sailor Coruscant. She most likely did not tell you because she did not want you to be placed in any danger. When I was here on Coruscant not too long ago I was attacked by the people that she had been fighting, and the danger was very real." 

Master Shinwa seemed genuinely surprised at this, and he did not take his eyes from Hikari-No. There was a long pause before he spoke again. "Can she really do all those things they say about her? Is it real?" 

No knowing what rumours had been spread, and feeling a little guilty already about having spoken Hikari-No's secret, Catherine shrugged. "She will have to tell you herself when she decides to wake up." 

He nodded, and sat down rather heavily in one of the chairs scattered around the room. Catherine looked around her for the first time, seeing the apartment and realising that the Jedi Master had paid very little attention to it or himself in the time that Hikari-No had been incapacitated. There was mess scattered about everywhere, and Catherine found herself questioning just how long it had been since the battle of which Master Shinwa had spoken. 

He shook his head a number of times, and stood. "I should probably tell the other Council members of this", he said, looking Catherine in the eyes for the first time, "will you stay with her?" His eyes darted back to Hikari-No anxiously. 

"Of course, Master Shinwa", Catherine forced herself to smile, "Hikari-No and I have much to catch up on." 

He seemed hesitant to move, but Catherine turned her back on him, and walked over to Hikari-No, sitting down by her side and picking up her bandaged right hand gently. When Master Shinwa had left, Catherine bowed her head and whispered, "I hope you can forgive me." 

She had heard the words, but they made no impact on her world now, appearing as they did through a fog of memories and dreams. She remembered what had happened on that night, when the power of the Crystal had run out, and she had died. 

The blue light was everywhere, it was all that was left of her body, of the power of the Crystal. She had poured it all into the healing energy that had been sent out after the banishment of the Dark Kingdom. She could feel now that *Star was alive again, as were the other people that had already died this night at Hematite's hands. And she wondered at this, as she found her awareness dimming, and was happy. Surely to lose one life was a wonderful thing if it meant that so many others would continue to live. 

But such knowledge was not comforting. She, for all that she knew it would mean others could live, was afraid to die. She was only fourteen, and she found herself wishing from the bottom of her heart that she could just have one more chance to live her own life, for herself. She knew that it was selfish of her, but she could not help it. She was terrified of death, and of what would happen next. 

From somewhere, the Crystal brought forth a final burst of power, and then there had been darkness until she awoke, and remembered. 

Catherine was there with her, she could hear her friend's whispered words. She remembered what Catherine had said the last time they met, and how it had come to be true in the worst way possible. 

"Hikari-No, I am so terribly sorry", Catherine said to her, as the sun began to set and the room started to darken. She too had remembered her joking words in the library that day, and knew then which student it was that had turned to the Dark Side. "I know how you felt about him, and if I had realised what would happen, I would never had said those awful words." 

'You know he'll only break your heart.' 

How prophetic it had turned out to be. "Hikari-No, you are my best friend and I would never do anything to hurt you. I wish I had never said anything, and I am sorry about telling your Master, but I felt he needed to know. If you decide that you hate me, I will understand." 

How could she ever hate Catherine? 

At times Catherine had seemed like the only one who had ever understood her, who knew how she felt and could sympathise. Though their lives were worlds apart, she had always known that Catherine would be there for her to tell her problems to, and to cheer her up when she was sad. 

It had never mattered before that Catherine never seemed to take anything seriously, for she had known that Catherine only acted that way so that people would not realise how smart and worried she really was. 

But how had Catherine known so acutely what Ura-Giri's death had meant to her? 

"What do you mean, the Council was aware of this? If you already knew, why was I not informed?" 

"We did not think it was relevant." 

There was a long pause as Mi-Rai assimilated this information. "You knew the truth, and you knew what would happen, and yet you still sent her out that night? I demand to know why." 

"It is not your place to question the decision of this Council." 

"I was under the impression that I was a member of this Council." 

"It had been our decision that your judgement might have be misplaced on this matter if you had all the information we had gathered. It was for the sake of your Padawan that the Council chose not to actively interfere in the events leading up to the events of that night." 

"The Council did not act because they were afraid of being blamed when something went wrong. Which it did." 

"Are you so sure of that?" 

"Hikari-No has not shown any signs of improvement since we found her, and another Padawan is dead. How can you possibly say that nothing has gone wrong?" 

"Hikari-No still lives, as do most of the people in this Galaxy. No one save her will ever fully understand what she did that night, nor why it is even now pushing her to the brink of insanity. Ura-Giri Koibito was indeed an oversight on the part of the Council, but we are endeavouring to find out how his Dark abilities managed to slip past our protection and testing." 

"You really don't care, do you? The individual doesn't matter to you, only the whole. You don't worry about the people whose lives you are destroying, and in the end it doesn't matter to you, because you still have the Force. You all seem to have lost sight of the fact that the Force is made up of the lives of individuals, and it is the strength of these distinct personalities that give the Force its strength." 

Mi-Rai looked around the group disgustedly and sighed. "I can see in your eyes that I am wasting my time. I will go back to my Padawan, who needs me to be there with her now." 

With another sigh of regret, he left the Council to its deliberations. 

Catherine was holding her hand, the one that did not hurt so much. 

That was something she did not understand. If the Crystal had healed everyone else, and brought her back, why had it not healed her body? She knew how she could do so now, but she wondered why it had not sooner. She would not use its power for something so selfish anyway. Never again, she would never again use its power on any living thing, even if they were the most evil being in the Galaxy. 

At least Catherine had not said the same thing as everyone else, that she would soon fall in love again. Why would she want to love anyone, when everyone she loved would one day leave her? 

Why was everything so hard? Why did everything she do only make it hurt worse? She missed Ura-Giri, she missed him so much, and he would never return, and it was all her fault. 

"Hikari-No, I know you feel pretty bad right now, I would too, but you have to understand that it wasn't your fault. You were doing what you knew was right, and even as you did it you knew the cost of success. That makes you very brave, for you did not give in, you stood up for everyone who couldn't stand up for themselves and you gave us a shot at a happy ending." 

There is no such thing as a happy ending. 

She had done what she must because the future had depended upon it, and because there was no way she would ever let the Dark Queen win. And so, she had lost. 

"Hikari-No, I doubt anyone else will say this, so I must. Thank you for what you did that night." 

Catherine looked out the window to the city beyond, full of life and people going on with their lives. If only they knew how close they had come to all becoming but a memory in the Force, maybe they would be more prepared to live their lives in a worthwhile manner. Catherine sighed loudly, and was shocked to hear an echoing one from the bed beside her. 

She looked down at Hikari-No's face, and saw two silver tears shining there. 

Catherine smiled, for she knew that everything really was going to be all right. 

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter Ten

For a long time he had been watching and waiting, softly influencing the politics of Domus Prime from afar, preparing for the time when he would begin to act openly against the peace and tranquillity of this world. He had seen the changes as his pawns slowly took their places around the board, and soon he would begin to manipulate them in earnest, enjoying his victory as he had many times before in other times and places, especially now that the numbers of his servants had increased.  

There was only one thing that angered him about his plans, one flaw that he had not been able to foresee. Once he was done here on Domus Prime, he would go find that one and kill him for his betrayal of the Order.  

But now, it was time to make his move.  

Hikari-No ran down the stairs lightly, jumping the last few and using the Force to steady her uneven landing. She was still a little clumsy, even now that she was sixteen, but she had grown adept at covering it up. And Master Hoshi had just told her some wonderful news, that she would face the trials next week. 

Hikari-No was excited, if a little nervous, as she raced back to her apartment to tell her Master the good news. Of course, he would already know, since he was on the Council and they were the ones who decided who was ready, but she it was all she could do to stop herself from leaping out of her skin. She was only sixteen, it was a great honour for the Council to give her this opportunity when she was still so young, but in her heart Hikari-No knew that she was ready and would succeed. 

Suddenly she realised what she was doing, and slowed down to a walk, shaking her head at her undisciplined behaviour. If she was to be a Jedi Knight soon, she had better start acting like one. What would the Council say if they had saw her running down the hallway like some childish Padawan? For the next week she would have to be calm and more in tune with the Force than ever before, if she was to show them that she could be a full Jedi. 

Hikari-No could barely keep the smile from her face as she walked demurely into her apartments. Reaching out with her Force-senses, she knew that it was empty, but she still walked inside quietly, and refused to act surprised when her Master appeared, embracing her fiercely. She wondered how he had managed to slip past her, but knew that there was still much she had yet to learn about applying the Force, for all that the Council may have been pressed into letting her face the trials. Again she found herself questioning why it had happened so soon. 

"I am so very proud of you, my Little One", he said, and Hikari-No noted happily the sparkle in his eyes, which meant that he was indeed pleased with what she had achieved. But, as though looking at her Master for the first time, she also saw the few grey hairs over his brow, and the wrinkles under his eyes where there should have been none. Hikari-No realised that her Master was not as young as she remembered him and yet she knew that as long as his eyes retained that happy sparkle she could never think of him as getting old. She loved him too deeply for that. 

As she hugged him back, Hikari-No thought she saw for the briefest of instants a flicker of sadness on her Master's face. But what was there to be sad about? Everything she had studied so hard for was coming to fruition. Hikari-No wondered what *Star would say when she was told. 

"I have to meet with the Council in a little while, Master", Hikari-No said, pulling away to go into her room and prepare herself, knowing that her Master was nodding behind her, "but I knew you would be here, and I had to let someone know, although, since you are on the Council, I am certain it was partly your decision." A thought struck her, and she turned back to face him. "That was not why they said I was ready, was it? Because I am your Padawan?" Her eyes were filled with self-doubt, and her Master was suddenly filled with sorrow for his Padawan. He forced himself to smile reassuringly. 

"Of course not, Little One. In fact, I had made them hold back several months before announcing it, because I knew you would think that. The Council truly believe you are ready; Master Yoda has thought so for a long time now." 

'You have grown up so much in the past few years. I love you more than I could ever love a daughter, and I only hope you are strong enough to face the tests that are coming.' Mi-Rai thought quietly, remembering the strength Hikari-No had displayed in the past, but also the pain it had caused her. 'I wish that you would never grow up, that you will never have to experience the pain that life will deal you. Being a Jedi is a hard life that I would not wish on anyone, especially not someone I love.' 

Aloud he said, "Don't worry, Little One. You are ready to be a full Jedi, and in your heart you know that. And don't let the other Council members scare you, although they will try to. It's tradition to make the trials as hard as possible, to truly test the Padawan." 

"Yes, Master." She bowed her head, still doubting a little. Hikari-No realised that as long as her Master was on the Council she would never truly believe that her being asked to face the trials was fair to the other students, or that she was ready. One hand reached up to finger her braid thoughtfully, an old habit that only seemed to surface when she was truly nervous. 

"By the way", he said, reaching over and taking the braid from her fingers as it was halfway to her lips, "there is a message here from Catherine." 

Hikari-No grinned as she glanced over at the table. No, she would not think of it now, she had to speak with the Council. After that she would find out what had been taking place on Domus Prime since she last spoke with her friend. They had been in frequent communication since not long after Hikari-No had realised that what had happened to Ura-Giri was in fact not her fault but the consequences of the choices he had made long ago. 

She still grieved for him, but it was not so bad. It was only occasionally, late at night when she had been studying overlong, that Hikari-No truly regretted what had happened, and remembered what it had been like when he had kissed her. She had not fallen in love since, but she had a feeling that one day she would meet the perfect man, who would love her as she loved him. Or at least that was what Catherine was constantly telling her. Until then, Hikari-No intended to keep her heart hidden and safe, so she would not be hurt again. 

Hikari-No smiled at the thought of Catherine, and as she reached up a hand to her locket, she wondered what could possibly be happening on Domus Prime at this time. And though she tried to fight it, for a moment all she could see was red, the colour of blood, and there was a tang in the air that reminded Hikari-No of something she could not place. Her hand dropped from her locket, and she realised that she had called upon the power of the Sapphire Crystal without meaning to. 

Hikari-No knew that the Crystal had the power to grant wishes, that much had been obvious when *Star had returned to life after Sailor Coruscant's battle with Hematite. But it was not until much later that Hikari-No realised that it could be used for everyday things too, and that was what worried her. She had kept the jewel in her locket, which had repaired itself after the battle, because it seemed like the safest option was to keep the Sapphire Crystal by her side where no one else could touch it. 

But Hikari-No had vowed that she would never use its strong magic again, for all that it seemed to respond instantly to even her simplest thoughts. It meant that she had to be careful, guarding her thoughts even from herself, for she still felt the Crystal's presence in her mind. She would never assume the form of Princess Amaterasu again, Hikari-No had promised that to herself. 

"Is everything alright, Little One?" The sound of her Master's voice startled Hikari-No back to the room, and all thought of the Crystal and the vision fled, "You've gone terribly white." 

"I am fine, Master", Hikari-No answered, shaking off the last of the shadow that seemed to have taken her good mood for a time. "Let us go and face the Council then." 

Hikari-No sighed deeply as she walked back into her apartment once more, her eyes looking over the sparse rooms critically. They seemed bare to her now, even though she had lived here all of her life and many of her happiest memories had taken place with them. She realised as she looked around that she was mentally cataloguing her belongings, as though she would never see them again. She shook her head at this lapse and decided to make herself something warm to drink while she waited for her Master to return. 

He had remained with the other Council members, for there were still many matters that they had to discuss, of more importance than one Padawan wishing to be a Jedi. 

Hikari-No had been aware, while she had been standing before them, of something like anticipation in the Jedi Masters. She wondered again why they would suddenly decide to allow her to face the trials, and what they had been seemingly afraid of. Then again, afraid was probably the wrong word for what she had felt in them, it was more like apprehension. They were waiting for something, and she found herself wishing that just once they would tell her what was going on, for she knew that it would not be good. 

Then again, the Council was not known for confiding in Padawans, even those about to face the trials. They did not see her as important enough to be told and she understood that. But still, she wished she knew what was going on. Hikari-No shook her head, wishing for a distraction, something to take her mind away from her worries. 

Hikari-No looked over at the table, then remembered the message from Catherine. She forced her worries from her mind as she picked up the small message cube, and for a brief instant considered waiting before seeing its contents. No, not this time, she needed Catherine's reassurances today, more than at any time in the near future. Hikari-No needed to hear her friend's voice, so that she might chase the remaining shadows of her earlier premonition away. 

She activated the message cube, and the screen on the far wall lit up with light as the recording was displayed. Hikari-No was so glad to see her friend's face that she did not notice the shadows under Catherine's eyes, or her black clothing. Although it registered in her heart, Hikari-No's mind did not see the pain in Catherine's eyes as she spoke. In the end, it was the lack of a smile on Catherine's face that alerted Hikari-No to the fact that something had gone wrong. 

Suddenly she was alert, ready to hear what Catherine said. She reached out a thought to her Master, calling him, making him see through her eyes for she knew that he needed to know what had happened as surely as she did. An echo at the back of her mind told her that he was leaving the Spire to come and listen personally, though his thoughts still witnessed events through his Padawan's mind. 

"My friend", Catherine began, her familiar lilting voice full of tension like Hikari-No had never heard before. She stared at the recorder, but her eyes were devoid of emotion, and they kept darting to something outside the range of the recorder. Hikari-No wondered who it was. 

Catherine took a deep breath that seemed almost like a sob. "Hikari-No, I need your help." The even sound of Catherine's voice was belied by the single tear that started tracing its way down her cheek. Hikari-No's breath caught in her throat and fear swept over her unchecked. 

"The Princess of Domus Prime died last week, of natural causes, the doctors think, but I fear otherwise. Her council of Advisers have seized power for themselves, and they have control over the Royal Forces." 

Hikari-No fought off her Master's thoughts about being calm, how could she be calm? There had been a revolution of sorts on Domus Prime, and the monarchy which had existed for hundreds of years there no longer existed. Hikari-No did not question how she knew the details of what was taking place, she accepted that what she was feeling was true without thought. 

"They have let it be known that there is to be no election, that Domus Prime no longer needs a monarch. They say it is the will of the people, and it is starting to be that way, for anyone who speaks out against the council is taken prisoner and many have not been seen for days. 

"I have appealed to the Jedi Council and the Senate of the Republic, but I suspect my messages are being screened by those who oppose us. To them you are only my friend, so I hope that this gets through to you. We will need the help of the Jedi and the Senate if there is to be an end to all of this nonsense, for there are few who are not afraid to challenge the councillors openly. I have a feeling that if the councillors are not stopped soon, many innocent lives will be lost, and I will not allow that to happen. 

"Domus Prime is my world, and I will fight to protect my people. 

"You must go to the Jedi Council and intercede on our behalf. The Jedi are sworn peacekeepers, they will not neglect their duty to Domus Prime and my people. Only if the Jedi come to our aid will we be able to save the people from the tyranny that the councillors represent. 

"I have always known that they were power hungry, now I know the true extent of their desire. I have also heard it whispered that once their hold on Domus Prime is secure, the Royal Forces will move against the neighbouring systems to bring them under our 'blanket of protection'. 

"My wish is that this message does get through to you, Hikari-No. You are our only hope. Please Hikari-No, help me save my people." 

Through the message, a thousand thoughts had been trying to crowd in on Hikari-No's consciousness, but she had pushed them back, trying to understand what Catherine had meant. Somehow it did not seem real to her, what was happening, the fear in Catherine's voice. Catherine was afraid of nothing, she was going to be Queen of Domus Prime one day. 

As the screen turned dark again she allowed herself a chance to think. Overlaying everything was a new fear that she could not place the source of, but Hikari-No knew that if she could find her calm long enough to try and focus on the Force she would probably find out what it meant. 

And the Princess was dead. Hikari-No had been fond of the old woman, though they had only met a few times. She had always seemed so nice, and open, loving equally all who came into her Palace. 

Hikari-No realised that she had sunken to the floor, and forced herself to stand, turning around to the door, where she knew her Master was standing. 

Mi-Rai Shinwa had never seen his Padawan move so gracefully as she did when she stood and turned to him, her expression as free of emotion as any Jedi could aim for, her voice flat. If he did not know her as well as he did, he would have said that she had successfully suppressed all of what she was feeling and was at peace with the Force. But in his heart he knew that this was not true at all. 

It was as though the last of Hikari-No's heart had died, he realised sadly. He wondered if his Padawan would ever truly be happy again, or if all she would ever feel was the satisfaction of doing the will of the Force. 

"Go back to the Council", she said slowly, having thought about her words. Her voice sounded older to him and full of sadness, not that of a child but of a woman who had lost everything. He wondered what she feared. "Speak with them, convince them to act on behalf of Domus Prime. Master", Hikari-No paused before she called him that, and it worried him more than anything else that had already happened, "you will convince the other Council members that the Jedi Knights must intervene and stop the violence that Catherine fears before it has a chance to erupt." 

Mi-Rai was unnerved by the tone of Hikari-No's voice, it didn't sound like his Padawan at all. There was no warmth to this voice, it was like ice. That was how she had made her heart after the death of Ura-Giri Koibito, a frozen place that very little light could penetrate. 

Hikari-No stood tall, her presence overriding her short stature, looking at her Master with piercing blue eyes that startled him in their intensity. Although the rest of her body seemed almost dead, her eyes sparkled, and for the briefest of instants he thought he could see a flash of her energy as Sailor Coruscant shining in those eyes. He had never told his apprentice that he knew about her power, but he thought that she knew anyway, she generally understood whatever was in his heart, sometimes before he did. 

Jedi Master Mi-Rai Shinwa did not know what to say to Hikari-No as she stood before him like that, so he simply nodded and walked from the apartment, following her orders without question because he could no longer stand to look into those empty eyes that seemed full of a power he did not understand. 

Even after he left, Hikari-No did not move from where she was standing, lost in her thoughts. Her mind was far away, searching for Domus Prime, searching for Catherine, trying frantically to reach further than she had ever before to make contact with her friend. And when she reached the limits of her own power, for the first time since that night two years ago, Hikari-No considered using the strength of the Sapphire Crystal deliberately to augment her own. But fear overrode her need, and she could not. 

Her eyes were drawn to a collection of flowers near the doorway, sitting in a vase, as unmoving as she was. They seemed perfect to her first glance, every aspect in its rightful position, nothing out of place. Then, as she watched, a single blood-red petal fell from one of them, making an almost audible sound as it hit the floor. It was the only movement in the room for a long time. 

A brief flicker in the corner of her sight caused her to look away. The vision came unbidden through her lowered defenses, and Hikari-No saw her Master standing before the Council, not sitting in his seat as she half expected, but standing like a common petitioner before them. Hikari-No knew it was the future she saw, for no one could have traversed the Temple so quickly, not even using the Force to speed their movements. 

Her Master ran one hand through his hair, a mannerism his Padawan had picked up many years earlier. Despite herself, Hikari-No found herself echoing the action, and she picked up the end of her braid and carried it towards her mouth, not realising what she did. 

As she stood breathless, waiting for the decision she knew was coming, Hikari-No's heart told her what the answer would be, and her world seemed to stop even before Master Yoda spoke the words that condemned Domus Prime as she knew of it. 

"Act on this", he said in his broken grammar, shaking his head, "The Council will not." 

Hikari-No forced herself to breathe as she fought down tears. She almost did not hear the words of Master Genki. "It is the will of the Force that we do not interfere." Outside the Council rooms, the sun began to set, filling the sky with orange light. 

With a soft cry, Hikari-No pushed the vision from her, not wanting to hear any more. 

Premonition swept over her, and she was frightened for Catherine. Though she had seemed all right in the message, Hikari-No realised that she felt that something terrible was going to happen to her friend, and she had to stop it. She had to, because the Council would not interfere. 

Hikari-No moved then, running into her room, throwing a few items into a bad, and without thought placed her lightsaber into her invisible pocket with the Crystal Staff. She knew that she would need both weapons to stop the great danger that she felt was going to take place. Catherine needed her help, and Hikari-No realised she no longer cared what the Council thought, she would interfere, she would go to her friend. 

It was with shock that Hikari-No realised that she had no intention of returning to Coruscant when she was finished on Domus Prime. She would never be able to forgive the Council for disappointing her, and if making the wrong decisions was what being a full Jedi was all about, then she did not want it. She knew the Force well enough, she did not need the Council's approval, for in her heart she knew what she was doing was right. 

Hikari-No angrily reached for her lightsaber, taking hold of her Padawan braid in her right hand and holding it out from her head. She moved the weapon up close to her head, and it ignited with a hissing noise, filling the room with deep blue light. She held it as close to the roots of her braid as she dared. 

For a moment she paused, looking at the end of her braid, which she now realised was a symbol of her innocence. An innocence the Council had destroyed. 

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and moved the lightsaber slightly. 

She put the lightsaber back without thinking, looking at the long braid in her right hand that had once hung down her back. The ends where she had cut it were burnt and fused together and the air was filled with the smell of singed hair. She ran her left hand over the many links in the braid, touching each of them for a moment remembering what they had once meant to her. At the other end it was tied tightly, and there was little left unbraided. 

As she looked down at the length of hair, she shook her head once, before throwing it distastefully away from herself and running out of the apartment, swinging the bag onto her back. 

She had no idea where she was going, other than she had to leave the Temple, she had to get to Domus Prime. She could not travel as a Jedi would, because she had no intention of allowing them to follow her, though she missed her Master already. He would understand, she hoped, he would know what she had to do. 

Hikari-No closed her eyes for a moment, trying to seek guidance from the Force, looking for an idea that would help her. 

She drew her breath in sharply as pain flashed through her body, a burning sensation in her stomach that filled her mind with it's horrible aura and her sight with burning red. Hikari-No fell to her knees, dropping her bag as the feeling washed over her in waves, and she closed her eyes, wishing that it would end, but there was no relief. In desperation, one hand rose of its own accord to touch the locket on its silver chain around her neck, and the pain stopped as suddenly as it had started. 

As she came back to herself, she looked around, and realised that there were several Padawans standing in this part of the Temple. The eyes of the three young children were open wide with apprehension, but when she started to stand they walked away, having sensed that she was now all right. 

And yet, Hikari-No had no idea what had just happened, she knew that it was only the power of the Sapphire Crystal that was keeping the burning pain away from her, it should still be consuming her body, devouring her and leaving nothing but an awareness of suffering. She could hear the song of the Crystal in her mind, protecting her, and she did not push it away, not wanting to bring the pain back. 

She stood unsteadily, and reached out one hand, calling the Crystal Staff to it. Keeping both hands on the strange weapon, she was able to continue standing, despite the fact that her legs felt too weak to support her weight. Hikari-No realised suddenly, as she tried to place the source of her agony, that she would not be able to reach Domus Prime in enough time if travelled by spacecraft. It would simply take too long. 

Closing her eyes to steel herself, Hikari-No took the chain from her neck and opened the locket, fingering the stone within. Her mind was filled with visions and images, songs and stories, but she pushed them back using all of her willpower, keeping her mind focussed on one thing only, how to reach Catherine in time to stop whatever it was that she feared from occurring. 

She never knew if it was the Crystal or the Force that told her the answer, but Hikari-No suddenly found it very hard to stop herself from shaking. She would have to be brave, she could do this for Catherine. She reached one hand to the sky in the empty corridor of the Temple, and whispered softly, "Coruscant Crystal Power, Make-Up!" 

As the lights of her transformation faded away, Hikari-No realised that she felt different from all the previous times she had been Sailor Coruscant. She would be able to fight better than before, and she suspected that her attacks would be more powerful, more controlled. Somehow the Crystal had made her stronger, but this only caused her to worry more. 

Hikari-No had never wanted to be a warrior, and she hated possessing the destructive powers that she wielded as Sailor Coruscant. A soft part of her mind told her that it was foolish to be afraid of her Senshi abilities, the same as it would be foolish for a Jedi to fear his lightsaber. The power of Coruscant was a part of her now. Besides, she would not be fighting on this day, she needed to be Sailor Coruscant only for as long as it would take to get to Domus Prime. 

She held out her hands, one to either side, and closed her eyes, concentrating on calling forth the power of the Sapphire Crystal and becoming a part of it. "Coruscant Power", she whispered softly, more to herself than the Crystal. Her world started to glow blue as she drew the power within herself, and on her forehead the ancient symbol for Coruscant blazed blue underneath her tiara. Sailor Coruscant visualised Domus Prime, in particular the Palace and Catherine within, and she made the wish that the power would take her there. "Sailor Teleport!" 

The incantation was ripped from her throat by invisible winds as Sailor Coruscant's world grew dark, then exploded into light. 

The Jedi Council sat in session, as a disturbance in the Force rippled through the Spire and was felt by all. Mi-Rai Shinwa looked over at the other Jedi Masters, knowing that something had happened, but unable to place its source. He had yet to speak to them about what was transpiring on Domus Prime, having just arrived before the Council. 

"What have you done?" Mi-Rai spoke in a small voice, looking towards Master Yoda. The oldest of the Jedi Masters did not move to speak, and his eyes were closed in a semblance of sleep that Mi-Rai knew was a fallacy. Master Yoda shook his head slowly, and it was Umino Genki who finally spoke. 

"The Council has taken steps to ensure the safety of Domus Prime." 

Mi-Rai was surprised that they already knew the news he had been about to tell them, but did not let it show. "And what steps are these?" 

"We have arranged for one we have trained to go and rectify the situation." 

A trace of apprehension crept over the Jedi Master, and he knew the next answer before he spoke it. "Who did you send?" 

"The Padawan, Hikari-No Miko." 

He had known Hikari-No would go when he saw the expression in her eyes as she heard Catherine's news. However, he could not fathom how his apprentice had been able to cause such a massive disturbance in the Force. "You have sent a Padawan to do the work of a Master. Hikari-No is not ready for such a heavy task." 

"Each Padawan must face their trials individually. It is a challenge worthy of a Jedi and we do believe that Hikari-No will succeed, otherwise we would not have ensured that she left." 

"She is gone already?" The words slipped out quickly without his normal control, and Mi-Rai suddenly realised that in his heart he believed he would never see his Padawan again. "You have driven her away." He remembered what Catherine had told him about Hikari-No being Sailor Coruscant, and wondered if she would able to get to Domus Prime faster than would be possible in a ship. He knew Hikari-No and suspected that whatever the Council had done to her would not only lead her away from the Temple, but that she would not return. Reaching out along the bond he felt to her, he could sense for a second a feeling of deep betrayal, then silence. 

"We presented her with a choice. The path she follows is of her own making." Umino Genki spoke in a smug tone that had always irritated Mi-Rai, as though he believed he was the only Jedi Master who was truly worthy of his post on the Council. 

Mi-Rai sighed. "And once again, the Jedi Council has acted without the consent of all of its members. How many decisions have you made without my being present? Am I a member of this Council or not?" 

Umino smiled again. "You are a member of the Council, but it was our decision that should you be included in our discussions you would try to interfere with the will of the Force, which is that Hikari-No must journey alone." 

"If I am not to be included in the meetings of the Jedi Council, I do not see why I must remain a member. Please find someone else to take my place, I want no further part of this." Mi-Rai turned to walk away from them all, not worrying dreadfully about the repercussions of his words. "I will go to find Hikari-No." 

"No." It was Master Yoda who spoke, his eyes wide open now and his face shadowed with age. 

"And why not, Master?" 

Umino spoke again, and Mi-Rai sighed openly, not wanting to listen to this one any longer. "Because you still have tasks to complete here in the Temple, and Hikari-No must face her own destiny without you." 

"Act on this", Master Yoda added in his broken grammar, shaking his head, "The Council will not." 

"It is the will of the Force that we do not interfere." Umino added uselessly, determined to have the final word. 

Mi-Rai's dark brown eyes narrowed slightly. "I will remain no longer on this Council", he said finally to the silent room, addressing each of the Jedi Masters with a nod of his head. "And as soon as this crisis on Domus Prime has passed I will go searching for Hikari-No. You will not be able to prevent me." 

Sorrow for his missing Padawan burning in his heart, Mi-Rai Shinwa walked from the Spire as softly as he had come, though his thoughts seemed to scream for the girl he loved more than a daughter. 

For what seemed to be a long time there was darkness, blacker than anything Sailor Coruscant had ever experienced. It was cold too, and she knew that this was odd because normally despite her short clothing she never felt any changes in temperature, although she had put this down to her training as a Jedi preventing her from allowing herself any discomfort. Now she began to wonder. 

She could still feel the power of the Crystal around her, but it was different then she had ever known it. For some reason, against the blackness of this place between places, the faint touch of the Crystal in her mind was almost comforting, as if it knew what she was going through and did not want her to be afraid. 

She had always hated darkness, not from any fear of what it was hiding or who could be watching her from without, but from her own loathing of not being in control, of not knowing what was taking place around her. 

For the first time since that morning, Sailor Coruscant found herself having time to think. It was easier to ignore the cold if she was thinking, although her thoughts seemed to circulate about whether or not she had made the right choice, and why she felt so bad about Catherine. 

She wondered if the spell had worked at all, or whether she would spend the rest of her life falling in this strange black place in which there was no light and no air and, she realised with shock, no connection to the Force. Suddenly Sailor Coruscant was terrified. She tried to scream out, but no sound was able to leave her throat in this ethereal void. All of her senses were completely blocked, and she was trapped, within her own mind, within this place of icy darkness. Sailor Coruscant knew that she was going mad despite the presence of the Crystal in her mind trying to calm her. She could not stand it, she needed light, she needed there to be life around her. 

And then, so brightly that it blinded her, there was light. 

Sailor Coruscant landed badly, and fell to the ground, holding her hands over her tightly-shut eyes. After that place of darkness the light here caused her pain, not so great that she could not bear it, but so that she could not see. 

Around her she could hear excited murmurs that sounded altogether too loud to her ears, and the warmth of the place was stifling. Every sense seemed to be screaming for her attention, her Jedi-abilities more than all of the others. Considering how long it seemed she had been in sensory deprivation, the feeling of pain was welcome, but almost more then she could cope with. 

A few moments later, the sounds around her became distinguishable, and Sailor Coruscant forced herself to open her eyes and sit up, wondering who was crying. 

The room seemed to be filled with two groups of people, all members of the Royal Forces of Domus Prime. The first group stood around her, and they all looked very concerned, not just about Sailor Coruscant's dramatic entrance, but something else as well, which she could not place. Her thoughts were making such a clamour that she could not seem to reach beyond the walls of her mind to sense what was going on. 

Sailor Coruscant started to stand, and those nearest to her took a step back. For an instant she wondered why they would do such a thing, before remembering how she must look to them. She tried to make herself smile reassuringly. 

"It is all right", Sailor Coruscant tried to speak calmly, but her voice seemed to shake alarmingly. Her eyes tried to seek out the highest ranking officer in the group to address him, "I am here to help." For the first time she saw the blasters in the hands of several of the soldiers, and she realised that they might have been afraid of her. 

"I am not going to hurt anyone", Sailor Coruscant said with a sigh, "Please, just take me to the princess Catherine." They still seemed hesitant. "I am a friend to her, you must believe me." 

After all she had already been through this day, this seemed to be the last thing Sailor Coruscant could take, and a single tear escaped her control. She dashed it away hurriedly with a gloved hand, determined not to let anyone see her upset. She took a deep breath and looked up again. One of the soldiers was holding out a hand to help her to her feet, and most of the others had replaced their weapons. 

She looked around the room she was in then, recognising almost instantly that this was the throne room of Fuhenteki Na Shiro. The high windows let in the morning sunlight, a bright contrast to the shadows in Sailor Coruscant's heart. Her body still seemed to ache all over, especially her stomach, but forced herself not to think about it. 

No one had spoken to her, but someone was still crying on the other side of the room. Sailor Coruscant knew that she had to find out who it was and provide some comfort, and then she would go looking for Catherine. 

The young woman who was crying seemed to be four or five years older than Sailor Coruscant, with white hair that progressed part way down her back in gentle waves. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying, but her pupils were a startling navy. She was dressed as a member of the Royal Forces of low rank, and she sat within a group of eight other soldiers, all sombre and upset about someone on the floor at the centre of the circle they had formed. At the centre, past the woman who was crying, a girl of about sixteen lay on her back, and a single medical droid hovered over her beeping alarmingly. Two handmaidens sat beside her, holding her hand and whispering urgently. 

Sailor Coruscant felt a twinge of pain in her abdomen, and walked past the soldiers to kneel down next to Catherine, knowing with sudden insight that this was who it was they were so upset about. She took her friend's hand, and Catherine looked up at her, yellow eyes flashing with pain. Her face was a paler shade of green that Sailor Coruscant had ever seen it, contorted with pain, and her hair no longer fell in graceful waves, but rather seemed tattered, as though the person cutting it had no care for what was taking place. 

Catherine smiled at her, then flinched as another wave of pain washed over her body. The soldiers, seeing that Catherine knew who this person was, all took a small step back, giving her some privacy. Even the girl with white hair tried to stop her tears enough that she could move away, as did the handmaidens. Sailor Coruscant saw but did not realise the significance of the burnt ends of Catherine's hair, which had been brushed back from her face. 

"I should have come sooner", Sailor Coruscant said softly, her blue eyes filling with tears. Shared pain swept over the pair, and Sailor Coruscant realised for the first time that over the course of their friendship she had formed a bond, a link in the Force with the princess of Domus Prime. It startled her because she had never noticed such a thing taking place, but she had no time to worry about who else it might have occurred with. 

"It doesn't matter." Catherine's face seemed to be too pale. Sailor Coruscant reached out with the Force, ignoring the agony it caused her after her teleportation had blocked her Jedi senses. She tried to find a way to stop the bleeding, to do what the single medical droid near Catherine could not. "You are here now", Catherine spoke in a voice that was little more than a whisper, devoid of its usual chuckle. 

"I am." Sailor Coruscant placed a hand against Catherine's face, still smiling. She breathed deeply, and then ran her left hand inside the wound, trying to sense just how bad it was, to know the extent of the damage. When she pulled her hand back, her white glove was now red with Catherine's blood, but she did not see it. "I will make everything all right again", Sailor Coruscant promised. 

She suddenly realised that she could not fear the Crystal any longer, her fear for Catherine was stronger. She let go of Catherine's hand, and pulled both gloves from her hands. Then she reached up her hands to the locket around her neck, opening it to reveal the jewel inside, which flashed with faint blue light. After the teleportation spell, it would most likely be too weak to heal Catherine, but Sailor Coruscant could use her own energy to do make it do that. 

Somehow, Catherine must have also been able to use their bond to hear what Sailor Coruscant was thinking, because she shook her head. "No", she whispered, "I won't let you do that." 

"I must", Sailor Coruscant answered. Her life was nothing compared to that of her friend, who was fading before her eyes. 

"If you try, neither of us will survive." Catherine's voice sounded so calm to Sailor Coruscant, but she knew that it was only an illusion. Inside, Catherine was terrified, Sailor Coruscant could sense it. 

"You do not know that. I can heal you, I know how." She started to draw upon the power of the Crystal, taking Catherine's hand again and making the power flow into it. 

When Catherine spoke again, her voice was little more than a whisper. Her eyes closed over, and she suddenly looked very old and very tired. "Hikari-No", no- one else was close enough to hear her words, "Please." 

Hikari-No never knew how, but Catherine was then able to stop the power, to prevent Sailor Coruscant from using the Crystal on her. Sailor Coruscant blinked once, and several tears escaped her. 

"Do not leave me", Sailor Coruscant said, holding Catherine's hand tightly, "let me heal you. Let me make it right." 

"I am sorry you came all this way for nothing", Catherine opened her eyes again, and this time there was the familiar twinkle in them. For some reason this upset Sailor Coruscant more than anything else. "I had hoped to hold a party for you after you faced your trials and became a full Jedi, but I guess I won't get the chance." 

Sailor Coruscant squeezed Catherine's hand harder. "I will make it up to you", she said softly, "I will make things go back to the way they were." Catherine nodded at her, smiling distantly. "I will not let it end like this." 

Sailor Coruscant's blue eyes met the yellow of Catherine's one last time, and she saw something like understanding within them. With her left hand, she put the Crystal back in her locket and closed it, as with her right she held on to Catherine's, not wanting to let go. Catherine smiled up at her, as Sailor Coruscant ran her fingers one last time along the lightsaber wound in her friend's abdomen. 

Then Catherine closed her eyes one last time and there was silence. 


	11. Chapter 11

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter Eleven

Sailor Coruscant stood gracefully, not letting her emotions show on her face. And yet, those nearest her took a step back at seeing her ice-blue eyes, which seemed to radiate the heat of her anger. 

"The princess is dead", she said in a flat tone. 

Catherine is dead, her thoughts screamed, you came to late to prevent any of this, you were too afraid to save her when you had the chance. You kill everyone you love. You killed Ura-Giri, then you killed Catherine. 

She had to find out who it was that had done this, that was what was important. She would bring them to justice and sort out this mess on Domus Prime. Then she could grieve. For now, her heart had to be like ice, she needed to be able to think clearly if she was going to sort this out. Even if she was no longer a Jedi she could still act like one. It was her responsibility. 

She looked up at the guards who had been there with her, though none claimed to have seen what happened. Trying to remember all that she could about the Royal Forces of Domus Prime, Sailor Coruscant singled out the one whom she thought was the highest ranking officer. He was clearly upset, and seemed to be genuinely grieving for Catherine. "Captain?" she asked him. 

He nodded, grey eyes filled with tears. Sailor Coruscant thought about what Catherine had told her of the problems here. She searched through his thoughts, to see if the emotion he was showing he truly felt. 

"Who did this?" Her voice was as ice, soft and inexorable. He could not meet her gaze. 

"We do not know. She had wanted to be alone for a time, and we stood guard outside, until we heard her scream." 

She was not surprised that no one had seen what had happened to Catherine. The one who had done that would clearly have been used to hiding in shadows, to not being seen. She would have to find him, but for now she had to deal with the council. 

She looked down at her hands, without her gloves. Some of Catherine's blood had soaked through them and stained the fingers of her left hand. "Are there any Jedi in the Palace?" Her voice was little more than a whisper of fear. 

The Captain seemed to think about it for a moment. "There have been no Jedi here for many months, my lady", he said finally. Sailor Coruscant nodded silently, and it seemed a long time before she spoke again. 

"The princess has been murdered, and I intend to bring her killers to justice. Will you support me in this?" 

He heard the tone in Sailor Coruscant's voice, and met her gaze for the first time. "Of course, my lady", he said with fervour. 

"And what of your troops? Will they follow?" 

She looked over at the other soldiers, some male, some female, but all clearly upset. And she saw the way they were looking at her. Idly, Sailor Coruscant wondered if it was her costume or her manner that inspired such thoughts of sudden loyalty. 

A female soldier who held what she thought was a low ranking stepped forward, bowing to her. "We are loyal to Domus Prime. The princess must be avenged." 

If it had been anyone else who had been killed, her Jedi side might have taken over again and forced her not to think of vengeance. As it was, it sounded like a good idea. Let them all die, a small part of her whispered, and the sigil under her tiara glowed for the briefest of instants. She fought for control over her emotions and won. 

"Take me to the place where the council of Advisers are meeting. And be prepared for anything." 

He started leading the way deeper into the palace, away from the throne room. The two handmaidens stayed behind, to keep silent vigil over Catherine's body. After a few minutes of walking in silence, the Captain turned to her. "My name is Brican, my lady", he said in a soft voice, expecting an answer. She sighed. 

"I am Sailor Coruscant, Captain Brican", she said, scanning ahead with a probing thought. The council members would probably be heavily guarded, she thought regretfully, hoping against hope that she was not making a error in confronting them. 

She prayed to the Force that no-one else would die this day, although a brief premonition told her that this would not be the case. The anger in her heart made her wish that it she would be the one to draw any more blood this afternoon as she passed a window and looked out at the serene gardens below. They would all pay for what they had done. 

"I do not mean any offence", the captain said, softly, trying to keep the apprehension out of his voice, "but that is a strange name. What does it mean?" 

She sighed, wondering herself for a short while. "It is a title", she said aloud after thinking about it for a time, then whispered to herself, "the promise of power to be unleashed." 

The closer they got to where it was that they were headed, the more heavily guarded the passages seemed to be. Sailor Coruscant wondered if her small force would even be able to make it to the council chambers without being stopped. After she had passed a number of four heavily armed guards, fortunately without being questioned, Sailor Coruscant stopped, turning around to the group as a strange thought occurred to her. 

"What do the people of Domus Prime say about the council taking power for themselves?" Her voice sounded empty and seemed to echo down the passage which was only lit by the rapidly-disappearing sunlight. 

There was silence. "Very few people are happy about it, save for the merchants and politicians", spoke up a smaller man, and she noticed that his hair was greying slightly. Out of the fifteen soldiers he appeared to be the oldest if not the highest ranked, and the others seemed to respect his opinion. "I am not sure if it is the lack of monarchy or the fact that the council's act goes against the Domus Prime constitution, but a lot of people will support whatever it is you intend to do here tonight." 

"What do you intend to do?" Captain Brican asked softly as she thought about what the older man had said. 

"I will give Domus Prime back to the people to whom it belongs", Sailor Coruscant said softly, as she realised that there did not have to be bloodshed for her plan to work, although it may not be avoided. "What about the rest of the Royal Forces? Can we trust anyone else in the military to be on our side?" 

"It's hard to say", Brican began, shaking his head. "The highest ranking officers are being payed directly by the council members to ensure their loyalty. In the past week they've become little more than mercenaries. You will find them closest to the council at all times. But if you give the rest of the Forces an order they will probably follow it, simply because a lot of them don't like what is going on." 

"Good", Sailor Coruscant smiled coldly, gesturing to the older man and the young woman with white hair at the back of the group who had been crying for Catherine. "What are your names?" 

"I'm Lieutenant Parks", said the man, smiling back and fingering his blaster eagerly. 

"'Shandra." The girl sounded fairly bored, but there was a glint of excitement in her eyes that showed much promise. Sailor Coruscant had a feeling that 'Shandra would be a valuable asset in the times to come. 

Sailor Coruscant nodded at the two of them. "You two are our recruiting officers. Whenever we pass a guard, I want you two to persuade them to join our cause. If they choose not to, disable them. I do not want anyone interfering with this, but try not to kill anyone. I will be very disappointed if you do. The rest of you, be prepared for trouble, I sense a disturbance in the Force." 

She reached out a thought, wondering at the sudden chill in the air. Something beyond these matters with the council of Advisers was wrong here on Domus Prime, and she intended to find out what it was. 

"Lead on, Captain." 

By the time they had reached the last corridor to the council chambers, she was followed by at least fifty members of the Royal Forces. Several of the men only seemed to be with them because 'Shandra had unbuttoned her shirt most of the way and kept making odd gestures towards Sailor Coruscant, who suspected that 'Shandra was making sure they all noticed her dress, or lack thereof. Still, maybe a show of force would be all that was needed to get her into the council chambers. She prayed to the Force that there would be no fighting. 

Outside the door stood fifteen guards, and they all seemed to hold a rank of captain or higher. Sailor Coruscant did not slow down, remembering what had happened to Catherine and keeping the fire of her anger burning. All that mattered was that she would bring them to justice by any means necessary. 

She would not let anyone or thing stop her, she thought, calling the Crystal Staff to her hands and feeling the warmth of its touch. Several of her followers gasped at this display of talent, but she did not pay them any notice, walking purposefully towards the guards who had seen her by now. 

"Let me pass", she said in a deathly quiet voice to the one who decided to approach them. He was a tall man, but his mind was weak, and she could quite easily override his will if she had to. She hoped it would not come to that. 

"Go home, little girl", he sneered at her, "the Palace isn't a place for children." 

A faint spark of light flashed at the top of the Staff, and it seemed to Brican that Sailor Coruscant's eyes grew colder, though her expression did not change. 

"You will let us pass, now, or I will arrest you on charges of high treason against the crown of Domus Prime." He still stood in front of her, yet now he drew his blaster, realising that this 'child' was serious in her demands, but thinking little of her threats. 

"There is no crown of Domus Prime anymore, only the council. You should go home, child. I would hate for anyone here to be hurt." 

"I agree", she said simply, "but sometimes it simply cannot be avoided." 

She moved quickly, using the Force to speed her movements as she spun the Staff around and knocked the blaster from his hand to the floor. The second spin of the weapon caught him on the side of the head, and the guard's eyes glazed over. An instant later he slid to the floor, unconscious. 

As if this was a signal, the other guards drew their weapons and started advancing on her group. Brican and the others took up defensive positions behind some of the more ornamental decorations of the grand hallway, and the Captain fired off a number of shots with his blaster, but before anyone could retaliate Sailor Coruscant slid one hand up to the point of her staff. 

"Destiny Shield", she said softly, calling on the power within her in an instant that lasted for an eternity, forcing it to spread outwards, so that a glowing barrier separated the hall into two sides a meter in front of Sailor Coruscant. Though a number of the guards tried to shoot past the blue wall of light, all the energy from the bolts was absorbed by it, and as she took a step forward, the wall moved with her. 

Upon realising that the guards' weapons could not reach past the barrier, several of the members of her Forces stepped back out to flank Sailor Coruscant, Captain Brican and 'Shandra amongst them. Brican stretched out a hand curiously towards the wall of light. 

"I would be careful", she said softly, not moving her hands from the staff and taking another step forward. "I am not at all sure what it would do to you. I would not like it if you disappeared in a puff of smoke." 

He smiled nervously at her as he drew his hand back. "Me neither", he said in a small voice, "Smoke's not much good at fighting." 

Sailor Coruscant did not smile back. "I ask that you join us peacefully", she said to the soldiers at the other end of the hall, as she stepped over the inert form of the one she had knocked unconscious and continued walking forward. One of the men took a step back inadvertently. "We have no desire to see anyone else die today. If you side with us, we will let you go on serving in the Royal Forces. If you do not, you will be imprisoned until such time as you can be court marshalled. In any case, I would really appreciate it if you all dropped your weapons, otherwise I might just do something nasty and fry you all in a blast of energy unlike anything you have ever seen before." 

Sailor Coruscant's voice so sounded sweet and reasonable that even though it was still full of anger Brican had difficulty believing that she would follow through on her threat. She turned her head a little to smile at him, sensing his doubt. She tightened her grip on the Staff. 

The spark of blue light at its tip intensified into a glowing ball of energy, and she moved the Staff so that it was pointing away from the people, at a statue at the end of the hall beyond them. Sailor Coruscant did not bother to sight it properly, or to call out any incantation as she released the power. She forced it out through the Staff, and made it move through the air towards the statue with a thought. The statue exploded, decorating the far end of the hallway with debris. 

"Who wants to be first?" Sailor Coruscant asked pleasantly, and as one the soldiers dropped their blasters. One also removed a number of explosives from his pockets. She allowed the shield to fall then, and made a small gesture behind her to the Royal Forces. 

"Get their weapons, and bring one of those detonators to me." Sailor Coruscant spoke with authority, as her mind still tried to plan ahead enough for her to foresee what would happen once she was inside the council chambers. She could feel the Force flowing through her body, pulling her towards the door, but as she thought about her feelings, she realised that she no longer knew if it was the Force that was guiding her or her anger, but it did not matter, so long as she knew which path to follow. She only hoped that she had chosen the right one for everyone. 

And now she had fourteen prisoners to deal with, for even though all of them had surrendered peacefully, she did not trust them. "Assign someone to watch over this group", she told Brican, who nodded, glad to have something to do. He barked a few short words at three of the men behind her, whose blasters had already been trained on the guards at the door. They saluted to her as they passed, and she shook her head slightly. They should not be saluting her. 

'Shandra stepped forward also, gathering up the various weapons from around the floor, her long white hair draping down in front of her body as she did so, which was probably just as well, considering how little of her shirt remained covering her skin. She walked back to Sailor Coruscant, and solemnly handed over a detonator and the corresponding charges. 

Sailor Coruscant held both in her right hand, and kept the Crystal Staff in her left, holding it away from her body at an angle. She sighed deeply, slight fear casting a shadow over her anger, though she could not identify its source. For the briefest of instants she realised that the trials she would face this day had not yet begun. 

"Follow me", she said as she stepped up to the door after a moment's thought, "And be watchful." 

Captain Brican touched her shoulder reassuringly, and she looked at him in surprise. "May the Force be with you", he said, perhaps to give her comfort, but she found little in what he said, for the familiar expression only reminded her of what she had left behind in coming to Domus Prime. Sailor Coruscant repeated his words without emotion to the entire group, before nodding to herself, and opening the door. 

The council chambers consisted primarily of a large room with many sunlit windows, and at least half of the room seemed to be filled with a large table, around which were spaced thirteen ornate chairs, made of some sort of wood that she did not recognise. Eleven of them were occupied by the blue-robed councillors, who seemed to be arguing when she arrived in the room. 

All speech stopped at her arrival, and for a moment she stood in the doorway holding the attention of all, letting them take in her strange appearance in her Senshi uniform. Sailor Coruscant tried to ignore the thoughts that occurred to several of the councillors, instead waiting for the right moment before moving. A familiar face at the back of the room caught her eye, and it was almost with relief that she realised that Jester looked miserable where he sat juggling a large number of red balls for the amusement of the councillors. 

One out of the many guards around the room drew his blaster and she stepped forward, allowing Brican and his troops to enter the council chambers also. They moved quickly, and only the first guard to have moved was able to get off a shot, wounding one of the members of her Royal Forces. The woman went down with a cry, but it had barely grazed her arm, and so she stood again, training her own weapon on the man who had fired upon her. 

In a few moments all of the guards stationed around the room had been disarmed and taken into custody. She noted idly that they were all highly ranked members of the military. Sailor Coruscant was glad that only one person had been hurt, for it had taken most of her attention at that moment to distract all of them and slow their reactions enough to try and ensure that no one was hurt. She walked down the two steps to the main floor of the room, still holding her Staff in her left hand. Sailor Coruscant rolled an explosive into the center of the table, and one of the councillors stood, outraged. 

"What is the meaning of this?" The man seemed to be about fifty, with greying black hair and green eyes that were full of anger. His robes did not seem to fit him very well, for he appeared to be overweight and lethargic in his movements. 

"I am placing the Domus Prime council of Advisers under arrest on charges of High Treason", Sailor Coruscant said politely to him, though he had been looking to Brican for an answer. 

There was a murmuring around the table, but she silenced it with a wave of the detonator. "By not allowing the election of a new monarch for Domus Prime, you have all defied the constitution of this planet, and the laws of the Republic can be brought to bear upon you. These state that you will each end up spending most of the rest of your lives in a jail on Coruscant, unless you submit to my authority, in which case you will be imprisoned for a few years here, and never be involved in politics again. I ask you all to think very seriously about your choices, since I know that the Courts do not take kindly to people like yourselves, especially considering your plans for the neighbouring star systems." 

Her final comment brought not a few gasps from around the room, and a part of her was glad that Catherine had been right about the ambitions of the council. It made it much easier on her, although she had to restrain herself from giving Captain Brican the order to kill them all. 

Towards the far side of the room, a man in a black uniform with gold shoulder decorations stood, drawing a weapon. "I suggest you do not fight, Grand Admiral", Sailor Coruscant said, forcing her will upon his so that he could not move. 

Suddenly she felt a ripple in the Force, centred at the seat farthest from her, in which a figure dressed entirely in black sat, his head covered by a hood that would not allow her any sight of his features. Sailor Coruscant could do little about it at this moment, but she would have to find out who this person was soon, she suspected. 

The leader of the military did not even blink as Sailor Coruscant used the Force to pull his weapon away from him. It landed at her feet, and she kicked it behind her some distance. He turned to her, smiling politely in a manner that chilled her. She knew almost instantly that she hated the Grand Admiral of Domus Prime. 

"Dear child", he said, his voice overly sweet and ingratiating, "what in the Force do you plan on using against me? Those charges you laid against the councillors will not work on me, I was simply acting on their orders, which is supported by the constitution. I am afraid you will find that I have done nothing wrong." 

With a smile, he walked away from the council table, towards the door, but he stopped on his way out to smile at the one at the end of the table. He came up to Sailor Coruscant and patted her cheek, smiling innocently. "Do call me if you need anything, I will be most happy to oblige." He looked around the rest of the room with a smile, taking in the faces of those in the Royal Forces who had decided to join her. "As a sign of good faith, I won't even court martial this motley lot for helping you." 

He swept from the room then, and Sailor Coruscant made no motion to stop him, knowing that he although the Grand Admiral was indeed cruel and possibly even evil, he was not the one behind what was taking place here on Domus Prime. He was simply supporting the change in power, and acting under the orders of the council of Advisers, which was his duty in the absence of a monarch here. She would deal with him later. 

Beside her Brican hissed slightly in anger, as one of the councillors glanced down at the far end of the table, looking for a signal from the one dressed in black. Though she could see no sign, Sailor Coruscant was not surprised when the councillor nodded to the others, and they all stood, turning to her. "We surrender", one said with a mocking smile. 

"Good", she was not sure what was going on, sensing only that the one in command of this situation was the figure at the back of the room. It was he who caught her attention, and she would not remove her eyes from him. 

As several of the councillors took a few steps towards the doorway, one of them gave her a knowing smirk, and she hit him lightly with her staff. He cried out in pain, but no one paid him any heed, save for 'Shandra who dragged him to his feet and pulled him towards the door. Sailor Coruscant blinked her eyes slowly, trying to sense what it was that this one in black wanted from them. She was only partially surprised to realise that he was hiding himself from her searching thoughts, he must have some ability with the Force to be able to do that. 

Her thoughts returned to Catherine, and anger flashed in Sailor Coruscant's eyes. A spark of light appeared at the end of the Crystal Staff, and she could feel the interest radiating from the one at the back of the room. She curtailed her display of power, suspecting that she would need every surprise she could muster. This was the one she would have to defeat to be successful here on Domus Prime, the council was of little importance to her anymore, for she knew that he had been manipulating the council. 

"You will not be able to stop me from arresting the councillors on charges of High Treason against the Princess of Domus Prime." Her words were a warning to the one at the back of the room who had not moved. She could tell that he was the one controlling this situation, she could sense fear in the councillors as she spoke to him. 

"It does not matter", he said, "take them away. They have no real power here on Domus Prime, they were not the ones who killed your princess, and you and I both know that." 

"Take them away", she said to Brican, echoing the other one's words, "and leave us alone in here." She suddenly had the feeling that the one at the end of the room was smiling at her. Her eyes did not leave his cloaked form. "Lock the doors", she told the Captain, "and if I do not emerge in five minutes, detonate these charges." 

She held out the detonator to him, and gingerly Brican took it, gesturing with his blaster at the council members. Slowly, they walked from the chambers, followed by the members of the Royal Forces that she had subverted. Jester was the last to leave, giving her a curious glance and a worried smile of encouragement. Then Sailor Coruscant was left alone with the figure in black. A loud click told her that the door was now locked. 

The one at the end of the room stood up, and pulled his hood back slowly. His face betrayed him to be much older than her, but she suspected that his apparent physical build hid a vitality that frightened her. His dark brown eyes worried her the most, they seemed to draw her in, to capture her attention so that she could not think of anything other than his gaze. 

He stepped away from the table into the large empty space of the rest of the room. He removed his cloak then and looked her up and down with a sneer. "Nice outfit." 

Sailor Coruscant had to stop herself from automatically blushing. She focussed all her attention on returning the favour. He was dressed in black robes, like a Jedi's, only not quite. It was then that she saw the lightsaber at his belt. "You are a Sith", she said, as a number of things clicked together in her mind. 

He laughed, the sound sending a chill down her spine. She reached for her lightsaber, igniting it and knowing that there was no way she could avoid this fight and live. "It seems only fair that you know the name of the person who is going to kill you", he said, "I am Darth Blade." 

She felt a powerful jolt, of premonition and remembrance. For an instant, she saw the face of a young man, and heard the sound of a girl's promise. 

'If Blade ever comes back, I will protect you from him.' 

She looked up at the Sith, new horror showing on her face. "The Riddler", she whispered too softly for him to hear, her eyes widening in shock. 

He looked a little surprised at her strange behaviour, before snarling and leaping towards her, igniting his lightsaber. Though she could hear the harmonics caused by the sound of his lightsaber resonating with her own, she could see no blade protruding from the end of it. Sailor Coruscant had only ever heard of the stealth lightsaber, she had never known anyone who could fight with one due to the unpredictable nature of the weapon and the high skill level that was required to use it. And as she quickly examined the handle of the unseen weapon she realised that it had two blades. Closing her eyes, she tried to sense where the blades were, since she would not be able to see them. 

Sailor Coruscant parried the stroke easily, trying to remove her thoughts from the subject of a young man with dark hair, eyes that seemed to drown her in their depths and a friendly smile. She had to concentrate on this fight, not the Riddler, if she wanted to survive it. 

"An unusual name", Darth Blade murmured, leaning close to her as their two blades locked. "One I will have to investigate further after I have killed you." She realised then that he had been reading her thoughts, and shuddered at the violation of her privacy. 

She pushed him backwards with the Force, trying to disperse the smell of his breath, which seemed to hang in the air around her. Determination filled her, and she quickly began to attack, her lessons with Jedi Heiwa having taught her how to fight against a double sided weapon. 

She realised, as she watched his movements and tried to counter each attack, that this Darth Blade had been the one who killed Catherine, and that he would not hesitate to kill the Riddler if he was given the chance. She could never allow that. 

Using his double-bladed lightsaber, Darth Blade was able to stop every movement of her own weapon, but he took a step back anyway, as though she had the advantage, if only for a moment. She tried to keep the Sith off balance, to do the unexpected, not knowing much about the Dark Side of the Force or how the Sith were able to use it. All she knew was that he was a Master, whereas she had little real experience with fighting. 

Sailor Coruscant leapt over his head, the blue of her lightsaber blocking the two quick strokes he made as he turned around to face her. Again the lightsabers caught, and she smiled up at him. "You will find that I am not so easily killed." 

His lightsaber moved too fast for her to counter every stroke, but he seemed to be toying with her, for none of them ever touched her skin, although the fabric of her short skirt was sliced in many places, and the bow on her chest had been cut away. Somehow her locket remained untouched, for all that the ribbon it had been resting on was now gone. Sailor Coruscant jumped, kicking him in the face with a heeled boot, and was a little surprised when it actually connected, leaving a red mark. 

He quickly followed through with a volley of strikes that she should not have been able to defend against, but she took her mind away and let the Force guide her actions so that she would not be harmed, hoping that she would be strong enough to beat him, but knowing that it was not really an option. 

He kicked her in the stomach, and could have ended it then, as she dropped her weapon and fell forward. But he did not. Instead, he stepped back, holding his lightsaber to one side, and made a small gesture that she assumed meant 'get your toy and let us continue this.' Why was he being so generous? Why did he wait? 

The answer came to her in a rush of fear and horror: he could afford to be generous. 

She was going to die. 

Domus Prime would be in the hands of the Sith. 

No. 

She would not let that happen. 

She had given up too much for that to happen. 

The lightsaber lifted itself off the floor and flew to her hand. Its cool touch was familiar to her, she had built it herself. She had put the finishing touches and sealed the casing in a small room not too far from here six years ago. So much had occurred since then, what had happened to the carefree girl she once was? 

A small spark of lightning struck the floor in front of her feet, and she looked up in surprise. "Still want to play with the big boys, little girl?" 

A wave of premonition swept over her at his words, but she forced it back, one hand reaching up to her locket. She had promised, promised that she would never again use its power to hurt anyone. But then the Sith threw more lightning at her, and she fell to the ground, fire burning in every particle of her body. 

She curled up in a ball, and looked up into his eyes. They flashed with anger and menace, and he smiled at her as he continued with the attack. She screamed, but there was no one who would hear her. 

Her lightsaber was on the floor before her, but to move it would hurt so much. She could not think, she could not see anything but the energy, the lightning, that was flowing through her body. She closed her eyes, and wished for death to come. But it would not. He was not about to let her escape that easily. 

He laughed at her, and for a moment she could hear Catherine's voice over the top of his, telling her to go on fighting. She blocked off the pain, she used almost all of her energy to stop herself from feeling what he did to her. She moved her left hand experimentally, bringing it up to touch her locket. She raised it up slightly, into the stream of lightning, and pointed one finger at Blade. 

"Force Blast." It was little more than a whisper, a wish, but it was enough. The power flowed through her, out of her arm and into the Sith, who was knocked backwards, but she knew that he would soon recover. She did not have the strength to attack him properly, and she was afraid to experience the power of the Crystal again, knowing what had happened last time. 

She pushed down her fears, and stood, a little unsteadily. 

Anger flashed in his eyes. "An interesting trick", he snarled, "not the Light Side or the Dark, but rather a combination of both. I wonder how you did that." 

She ignited her lightsaber, and waiting for him to attack again. She did not speak, she would not give him the satisfaction. She tried to calm the beating of her heart, the screaming of her thoughts, the pain in her body. 

She met his eyes defiantly, not caring to keep her anger in check anymore. The power of Coruscant would protect her from the Dark Side, and her grief was too strong for her to contain. "You killed my best friend", Sailor Coruscant said in a soft voice. 

"I kill a lot of people. It is one of the joys of the Sith." Darth Blade's voice was as smooth as silk, and he smiled easily at her. She stepped in close, her lightsaber passing close to his face, but he gently pushed it to one side, as though it was of no importance. His eyes did not leave her own. 

She called another ball of energy into being and threw it at him, not bothering to call out the incantation this time, simply drawing on the power of Coruscant. With a complicated flip over her head, he was able to avoid the attack, which shattered the fine glass window on the far side of the room. 

Sailor Coruscant flinched for the briefest of moments at the destruction she had caused, even as she turned around to stop Darth Blade's lightsaber from cutting across her body. She was able to stop it, but not before it gave the briefest of touches to her right arm, sending fire burning through her body. A small gasp escaped her control, and there were tears waiting in her eyes. But she would not let them fall. Not yet. 

Darth Blade noticed the control she was exhibiting, and grinned as the two blades clashed in a shower of sparks above her head. "You would make a fine Sith, my dear", he purred, reaching out a hand to caress her right cheek, causing a flash of pain as he sent more lightning into her already overtired body. "Just give in to your darker side and join me." 

She brought down her saber in anger, not noticing as she forced him to move his own with it, prepared to throw every once of power she could command at him in an instant. He tried to twist the saber, to bring up the other blade and strike her with it, but her will overrode his, and he was unable to do so. 

Sailor Coruscant reached into the bottom of her reserves, and drew forth all of the power she could command, using the Force to control it even as she saw the sudden surprise on his face. Even as she made a small motion with her right hand, ignoring the pain it caused, to set free the energy she would use to destroy him, she turned and plunged her lightsaber into his chest. 

"I would never turn to the Dark Side", she told him in an even tone, as she deactivated her lightsaber and put it away. 

It was only as she turned and walked out of the council chambers that Sailor Coruscant started to cry. 

The flames were hotter than she had expected, but she did not notice them, for all her attention was on the body of the one who was being consumed by them. Tears fell down her face in a steady stream, reflecting the light of the fire to all who looked upon her. Sailor Coruscant stood, not thinking about anything save that she had failed her best friend. 

Of all the choices she had ever made, this one she regretted the most. She had hesitated, and it had cost her Catherine, the only person in the galaxy who had always seemed to understand what Hikari-No was going through. 

Around her stood many of the courtesans of Domus Prime, those that had not been on the council of advisers, who were now imprisoned. Sailor Coruscant reached out her mind without thinking, and sensed that although most of those here were truly grieving, others had seen this night's event as a chance to evaluate the position of their enemies and begin manoeuvring again for power on Domus Prime. 

A light breeze made the ashes on the pyre dance lightly, and for an instant, as she closed her eyes, Sailor Coruscant thought that she could hear the sound of Catherine's laughter, always joyous. This brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes and she found herself crying not only for the loss of a friend, but for the loss of the innocence that friendship had seemed to symbolise. 

Her hair, which reached down beyond her knees, shadowed the movements of the flames as they consumed Catherine's body. Her spirit was already a part of the Force, but Sailor Coruscant did not want to accept her loss just yet. 

She had reversed her transformation for a short time the day before after she had fought Darth Blade, but only long enough for the doctors to treat the wound on her left arm. When she had resumed her form as Sailor Coruscant, her torn Senshi uniform was as new, as if the battle had never taken place. If it were not for the bandage around her upper arm and the aching pain behind it, she could almost believe that it had been a horrible nightmare. One that she longed to wake up from. 

Over her clothes she wore a black cloak, though the hood was not drawn. It was made from heavy material, and had been a gift from 'Shandra, who had seemed alarmed to find out that Sailor Coruscant had no clothes to reflect her grief. 

There was a slight tap on her good arm. She turned to see Jester standing behind her, his normally bright-coloured clothing replaced with the sombre tones of mourning. "I am sorry", he said, but she barely heard the words, lost as she was in a fog of grief, "She was my friend too." 

There was nothing she could say to that and she did not move, standing tall in front of the fire and watching. Her eyes seemed almost grey rather than blue, to Jester when he looked down on her calm face, as though the life had faded from them. For the first time Jester saw Sailor Coruscant as she really was, not just a young woman in a short skirt who could fight well and had organised a revolution on Domus Prime, but as a girl who had lost everything and had nothing left to hold on to. 

Perhaps she heard a little of his revelations, for she turned away from the fire to look at him properly for the first time. He had grown up in the years since she had last seen him, and his innate Jedi abilities seemed to shine on his face in the light of the funeral pyre. Sailor Coruscant wondered if anyone had ever taught him how to use these skills, or if he was still just the Court Entertainer. 

"What will you do now?" Jester asked the question softly and politely. 

She stared at the pyre for a long time without moving, until he thought that she had not heard him. "I do not know", she answered finally in a whisper, "I never thought about what I would do afterward. I just had to come here to make things right." Sailor Coruscant spoke more to herself than to him, as though the she was only just realising something important. 

"Will you stay on Domus Prime?" 

The orange light from the fire traced intricate patterns across her face, and for the briefest of instants Jester thought he saw a fine scar on her right cheek. But it must have only been a shadow, for as quickly as it appeared to him it vanished. 

Sailor Coruscant's long hair moved in the breeze, some of its fine strands brushing against her face. She remembered what she had told Catherine. "I will stay, for a time", she said, as more tears started to fall down her pale cheeks. "Just to make sure everything here goes back to the way it was. Fairly this time, the way it should be." 

He nodded, and she closed her eyes again, although she could still see the light from the flames and feel its heat. 

"Do you really think that anything here on Domus Prime could ever go back to the way it was before?" 

She thought for a long time before answering. "Maybe on the surface, if nothing else. Domus Prime has many traditions and the people are very set in their ways. Perhaps now they will be more cautious, especially since the Sith were involved in what happened." They should all have been more cautious. She should have been cautious. She should have known. 

Jester noticed the sudden flash of anger in her eyes, as a strange thought occurred to him. "It was not your fault", he said with insight, louder than earlier, "there was nothing you could have done." 

But as she stepped down from her position nearest the pyre, Sailor Coruscant knew that he was wrong. She turned her back on the flames that were starting to die down, and carefully wiped the last few tears from her eyes. "I would give my world to be able to make it up to her, to make everything alright again. I do not regret what I had to do, I only wish that the ending could have been different. I will never forgive myself for what happened." 

Jester frowned at her retreating form, trying to understand what Sailor Coruscant meant. He thought about what she had said, and considered again the idea that had just struck him. As he walked away he found himself considering the future of Domus Prime, and what path he should choose for them to follow. 


	12. Chapter 12

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Chapter Twelve

Sailor Coruscant sat in the gardens of the Palace, where she had been spending much of her time in the two weeks since Catherine's death. Amid the brightly-coloured flowers and plants she sometimes felt that she could hear the sound of Catherine's friendly laughter here, and it gave her a quiet place to sit and meditate, trying to find answers to her questions. 

The setting sun filled the sky with orange light, and above it Unmei began her stately descent to the horizon. The silver moon seemed red also from the reflected sunlight, pulsing angrily. Sailor Coruscant wondered if it could be some sort of sign. The election had been held the day previously and the results would be announced this night. She had been watching over them, but aside from ensuring that the Grand Admiral did not interfere at all, she had little real interest in what the outcome would be. She had promised Catherine that she would make sure it was fair, but in reality she had not even bothered to find out who the nominees were. 

After the funeral, Jester had arranged a room for her to stay in at the Palace, and had managed to find her some other clothes to wear so that she did not have to remain in her Senshi uniform always and she was thankful of that. He was so kind to her, and although he did not recognise her as Hikari-No, he seemed to genuinely want to be friends with her, and she needed friends at this time. But the part of her heart that was dead would not allow her to become to close to him, knowing that he would only end up leaving her too, and that it would be her fault. 

She spoke to people rarely, and made use of the secret passages whenever possible to move about the Palace unseen, growing more familiar with the multitude of hidden rooms and walkways. It was always silent and dark in the passages, and that suited her mood. Sailor Coruscant had very little desire to be social, especially as word of what she had done spread. She was not comfortable with the attention directed at her, she had only done what she must, and she had never been as terrified as in her fight against Darth Blade. 

Although she had seen them destroy the body of Darth Blade, Sailor Coruscant still had a terrible feeling that she had not seen the last of him, that the Sith were not yet done with Domus Prime. She knew that there would have to be more than one Sith, and she seemed to remember hearing a story about there being two at any given time, but her thoughts were shadowed by fears that Darth Blade had left a legacy that would not be easily dismissed from her world. 

She still had no evidence of the Grand Admiral's collusion with Darth Blade, and although the members of the council of Advisers had not been impressed with being imprisoned, there they would remain for at least the next three years, longer if Sailor Coruscant had any say in the matter. 

Not that she really did, but the threat of dragging the council before the Courts had made them only to willing to submit. Especially after Darth Blade had been unable to succeed and free them. The removal of the council from power would most likely only last for as long as Sailor Coruscant remained on Domus Prime. 

Which brought Sailor Coruscant back to her dilemma. What was she going to do now? She would not return to Coruscant and the Jedi, but she had no where else to go. She wished that she could speak with her Master again, he would tell her what choice to make. But she could not, she would never see him again. She had left that part of her life behind her, and only the future remained. 

She had supervised a number of official messages sent back to Coruscant by the military and other officials on Domus Prime, making sure that the correct truth was told. The Jedi were warned about the Sith, but they took little notice, refusing to believe in the re-emergence of an ancient enemy who had been extinct for as long as anyone could remember. She had added an extra note to one of these messages, detailing that the Padawan Hikari-No Miko had died in the revolution, killed at the hands of the Sith. She was not certain whether her Master would accept this, but the rest of the Council would most likely be glad to know that she wanted no further association with the Order. They would make sure that her Master remained on Coruscant and did what was right for the Jedi. He would soon forget about her, it was for the best. If she had nothing more to do with him, then there would be no way for her to harm him as she hurt everyone whom she loved. 

Sailor Coruscant looked out over the city below, all the people who knew what their lives meant and what they wanted. She envied them in many ways, and wished that she could be just like them. As she looked out at the setting sun, Sailor Coruscant found herself longing for a sense of purpose and direction, that she could know what she wanted and how to keep her promise to Catherine that she would make things right. 

A chill breeze brushed her hair against her face, and she drew her cloak tighter around her. Along the horizon across the face of the setting sun the faeries took flight, and a voice from memory spoke to her filled with happy laughter. 

'If you see them in flight like that and make a wish, it will come true.' 

Sailor Coruscant stood, as the breeze turned into a wind, her eyes never leaving the faeries. She threw her arms outward as her hood fell backwards and her hair flew around her head. From her heart she found herself whispering to the sky, to the faeries, to herself. 

"I wish that someone else will make my choice for me." 

The wind suddenly died down, bringing with it a silence so deep that Sailor Coruscant did not move for fear of destroying it. Afterwards, she had no idea how long she had stood there, gazing at the horizon in wonder, the still air frightening her, as though something really had heard her wish. But the sun was almost completely below the horizon when she realised just how cold she was, and brought the cloak back around her, sitting down again to watch the last of the sunset and the stars emerge. 

"Sailor Coruscant." She started at the sound of Jester's voice, so deep had been he reverie. She unfolded her arms from around her knees and turned to him, a little surprised to see with him three of the Princess' old handmaidens, dressed in their formal blue gowns. Since her arrival on Domus Prime, Sailor Coruscant had not seen any of the handmaidens, and she was confused by their presence here in the gardens with Jester. 

On Jester's right stood the Grand Admiral of the Royal Forces, a deep scowl on his heavy set features. He was dressed in his full uniform, the black reminding her of Darth Blade for a moment. Sailor Coruscant realised that it was the emptiness in his eyes that frightened her so much, as though he cared for nothing or no one. 

Jester was grinning at her, his eyes sparkling. As Sailor Coruscant stood, he bowed to her, the handmaidens following his lead, each of them smiling. 

"What is going on?" A vague feeling of unease crept over Sailor Coruscant, and again she heard in her memory Catherine telling her of wishes coming true. She shivered, for Catherine's voice in her mind no longer sounded happy and laughing, but somehow sinister, as though she was prophesying a terrible fate rather than telling of a childhood game. 

"The results of the election have been announced", Jester was still smiling, and the Grand Admiral turned to him, if anything frowning harder. "I asked that they would let me be the one to inform you of the decision of the people of Domus Prime." 

Sailor Coruscant suddenly knew. Her face drained of colour and she took a step backwards, away from them. "Jester, what have you done?" Her voice was little more than a whisper. 

The Grand Admiral snorted loudly, looking down at her, still angry. "Just tell her, fool", he sneered, and she found herself standing taller, determined not to let him see her upset. She hid her emotions deep, putting in place a mask of calm. The Grand Admiral smiled at her, having watched as she fought for control over her feelings and won. 

Jester refused to be fazed by the Grand Admiral, bowing again to Sailor Coruscant, who waited for the official announcement from him, thinking that she would give her refusal afterwards. A faint blush had stained his cheeks as she confronted him, but it was gone when he rose to meet her gaze. 

"Sailor Coruscant", he began, speaking slowly and clearly, "I have the distinct pleasure of being the one to inform you that the people of Domus Prime have today elected you to be the new Queen of this world. Do you accept?" 

She looked at the five of them, seeing the admiration in the eyes of the handmaidens, the amusement in Jester's and the hatred in the Grand Admiral's. Though this time she tried to keep it hidden, panic again swept over her. This was not right, this was not what she had intended. Everything was going wrong, she could not cope with this now. She was not meant for this task. 

She did not stop to think, she did not pause. Sailor Coruscant ran through them, heading back towards the Palace, trying to think of a place to hide from them, from everyone. There was no one guarding the entrance to the Palace, and she was glad of that, as she ran for the secret passages. 

In the comforting darkness of the hidden hallways, Sailor Coruscant was at last able to sit down and cry, pulling her cloak around her. As her tears fell down her face and were caught by her hair, which hung loosely around her, she tried to force herself to forget, both Jester's offer and the smirk on the Grand Admiral's face. 

Out in the garden, Jester paused for a moment to look out at the setting moon in the twilight that existed now that the sun had set. With Unmei's silver light shining down on him, he turned to look at the handmaidens who stood with him, a little unnerved by Sailor Coruscant's flight. But Jester had hoped for a reaction like that, it showed that she was human behind her icy facade. 

He walked slowly into the Palace, telling the others to split up and look for Sailor Coruscant, though he suspected he already knew where she was. 

Sailor Coruscant sat on the balcony of the Princess' old rooms, looking out over the city, no longer crying but certainly not calm. There was something comforting about these rooms, as though Catherine was here, talking to her and telling her that everything would be alright. But it would never be alright again, Catherine was dead, and now the Court Jester was trying to convince her that she should take on the title of Domus Prime. 

She looked up at the stars, trying to see the sun of Coruscant, achingly wishing to be home once more, curled up in her bed in the Temple. But she supposed it would not be her bed any more, it probably belonged to someone else already. They had most likely forgotten about her, her past was as lost to her as Catherine was. 

This time she was aware of him behind her before he had a chance to get to close. "I know you are there, Jester", Sailor Coruscant said in a whisper, "what do you want?" 

"I want you to accept the throne." 

"Why? I am not the right person to be Queen. That was always going to be Catherine's life, not mine." She sighed, tears again threatening to overcome her. He sat down next to her, holding something out to her that she could not see in the darkness. 

She turned the object over in her hands, remembering the first time he had given her Harold to hold. It took her a moment to recall that she was supposed to have never met Jester before she arrived on Domus Prime. "Who is this?" 

"This is Harold, my rubber chicken. I thought he might help make you feel a bit better about all of this. He always makes it easier for me to see things in perspective." 

Her voice was cold. "And what perspective would you recommend?" 

"I would like for you to consider this." He sounded more serious than ever she had heard him, and at seeing the intensity in his eyes she found that she had to look away. 

"How did this happen?" 

For a moment Jester was not certain that she had spoken at all, but he felt compelled to tell her, to explain his part in this. "I nominated you for the election. After what you did, it seemed like a really good idea. I'm not entirely sure why I thought it, but there was no harm in trying, so I gave them your name. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought you'd do a good job." 

"But how is it possible that a majority of the people on this planet know of me? Enough for this happen to me? I only just arrived on the planet two weeks ago." 

Sailor Coruscant had the feeling that he was smiling at her "Domus Prime is a small world, and word travels fast. A lot of people heard about what you did, and how you got rid of the 'corrupt politicians' to restore Domus Prime to what it once was, and that you never had any thought of reward. They seem to think you'd make a good Queen, so they voted for you. It is not the first time someone who isn't a local was given the job." 

"But I do not know anything about how to be a Queen." She could not do this, no matter what he told you. It was not her destiny. Then again, she had no idea what her future held anymore. Just an emptiness stretching before her, without direction. 

"You know how to do what's right, and that is more important than all the training a person could receive." Sailor Coruscant could tell that he was thinking about Darth Blade again, how she had fought him and won. Still, Darth Blade had been a Sith, there had been no choice for her to make, she had to fight him or die. Saving Domus Prime had been an after effect. 

"I can not accept this", Sailor Coruscant's voice was still a whisper, but there was a hint of uncertainty to it that was not there before. Jester smiled to himself. 

"Who else would you recommend, knowing the type of people who would volunteer for such a job?" Thinking of the Grand Admiral, Sailor Coruscant shuddered involuntarily. Jester caught sight of the movement, even in the darkness, and nodded to her. He held out a hand to her and she took it, trying not to notice it's comforting warmth. 

Sailor Coruscant bowed her head in silence, not wanting to make a choice just yet. She sat and looked out at the city for a long time, trying to find the calm she needed to think things through properly. 

"Jester", she asked finally in a small voice, "can I give you my answer tomorrow?" 

"Of course", Jester's voice was also quiet in the late-night stillness, "I understand." She held out Harold to him, but he shook his head. "You can keep him for tonight. He might make it easier for you to make your choice." 

Jester stood, giving the sky a final glance. Sailor Coruscant did not move again, nor did she speak. Accepting her silence as a kind of farewell, he walked from the balcony, to seek out his room and try to sleep the rest of the night. 

Throughout the long night Sailor Coruscant sat in vigil, meditating for most of the time, but at others just sitting and listening to the sounds around her. She sent her thoughts flying across the planet, discovering the people who were asking her to lead them and the dreams and hopes they possessed. She learned much about them, having put aside her grief to do as Jester suggested, and consider the choice he had given her. 

She held Harold to her at all times, for some reason finding comfort in having the rubber chicken with her. More than anything else, Harold reminded her of why she was being asked to take on this burden. There was something innocent about Jester's possession of the toy despite his age and proven maturity that cheered Sailor Coruscant and gave her hope for a happy future. 

But her thoughts seemed to dwell in the past, on happy memories of her and Catherine spending time together, and one sentence seemed to remain in her mind, echoing over and over until she thought she would go mad: 

'One day, I'm going to be Queen of it all.' 

That was what Catherine had always wanted, had always looked forward to. She had been training all her life for the chance to stand in the election and take her place as Queen, and everyone who had known her knew that she was the perfect choice. Catherine had cared about everyone and thing on Domus Prime, she saw it all as a part of herself and had taken care of it as such. Sailor Coruscant doubted that she would ever be able to be that committed to Domus Prime, she had never wanted to care about anything ever again. 

And yet, she could understand Jester's point. Who else could rule Domus Prime? She was surely not the best candidate, but as she listened to the sleeping thoughts of the people on the same side of the planet as her, and the waking ones of the people on the other, she could sense no single person who seemed to suit what she thought a ruler would be. Not that she did either, she realised, searching her heart. 

As dawn grew nearer, Sailor Coruscant realised that perhaps what she was looking for was not someone who would be perfect to rule, but someone who could replace Catherine. Sailor Coruscant would never be able to live up to how she saw her friend, perfect in every way, but neither would anyone else in this Galaxy. Perhaps Jester was right, perhaps she could fulfil the role he had placed before her. 

He arrived just as the sun was cresting the horizon, lacking an escort this time, looking somewhat sombre, but his eyes seemed to show that he already knew what answer she was going to give. As far as he could tell, Sailor Coruscant had not moved since he left her the night before, still seated on the balcony with her chin resting on her knees and her hands clasping Harold tightly. 

She stood at Jester's approach, turning around in one fluid movement, and holding out the rubber chicken. He accepted Harold gravely, but did not move, looking in her eyes and waiting for confirmation. 

Sailor Coruscant's voice was a whispered promise to the voices of the past and the Court Entertainer whom she had forgiven. 

"I accept." 

It had been two days since the coronation ceremony, and the new Queen of Domus Prime was near to breaking point already. Despite having to entertain the many guests and visiting dignitaries in the Palace at the moment, she was already meant to be holding court and making decisions for the entire planet. It seemed as if her signature had to be on every document that passed through the Palace, and everyone wanted a piece of her attention to lodge their complaint about some matter that was absolutely important. 

She had yet to address the matter of finding new handmaidens, since five of the old Princess' eight had 'disappeared' during the chaos before her arrival. All that were left were Gemma, the aging Priestess from the Temple of Light who was thinking of retiring anyway; Chelya, who was just new to the job and very uncertain of herself; and Opal, a scholarship student at the Domus Prime foundation for higher learning who despite her young age of sixteen had been a close friend to the Princess before her death. Sailor Coruscant was much closer to the two girls who were her age than Gemma, and they had been her constant companions since word had reached them that she was going to become Queen of Domus Prime. 

Tomorrow she intended to take a short trip to the Temple of Light in the City, to speak with Rei and ask her to replace Gemma. After that, she would seek out 'Shandra, the woman who had helped her during her attack on the council, and to inquire as to whether the member of the Royal Forces would also be willing to take on a position as Queen's handmaiden. With an extra set of hands about, it might be easier for her to manage Domus Prime and its Court. 

She had barely had a chance to speak with Jester since she had told him her decision, but in a quiet moment she had been able to tell him that she was no longer angry at him. He had nodded as if he already knew, and smiled at her. He had performed in front of her a number of times since then, but she had yet to see the lightsaber-juggling trick that he had promised her so long ago, but maybe he did not as yet have the confidence to try such a feat in front of the entire Court. It would be an amazing feat. 

Sailor Coruscant sighed deeply, looking out over the city from the balcony in what was now her rooms. In a few minutes they would probably be back here, trying to make her return to the Throne Room that she had just left. She would not be able to cope with that at this time. 

Opening the passage on the far side of her room, the Queen slipped inside, closing it behind her so that no one would know that she had been in her rooms this afternoon. For time she wandered in darkness, having forgotten to pick up a light, not really caring where she ended up. Her thoughts kept circling around her problems, and most importantly the Grand Admiral. He had told her that she could not touch him, that he was safe in his position, not even the Queen could remove his power over the Royal Forces. She hoped that this was not the case. 

Looking up, Sailor Coruscant realised that she was standing outside a hidden entrance to the Library. While she was here, she could actually see if what the Grand Admiral had said was true. She needed to be rid of him any way she could, and the Library held information on every aspect of life on Domus Prime. From past experience Sailor Coruscant knew that there were many books here on the laws of this planet, she just had to find the right one. 

After a quick check to ensure that no one would see her, the Queen stepped from the secret passage into the Library. She was standing between two shelves of books, which at first glance appeared to be a collection of stories and folklore. She walked out from where she was, to glance around her at the massive Library, and try to see exactly where to look. 

Seated at a table at the end of the room was a Jedi, staring into a large book. The Queen knew that the Council had sent a representative to the coronation, but she had intended to avoid her, in case it was someone she had known. But the woman was unfamiliar, with shoulder-length brown hair that was tied back from her face, and sad- looking brown eyes. 

The Queen walked over to her, good manners prevailing over her desire to hide. "Is everything all right?" 

The Jedi looked up, startled. Her eyes widened as she recognised the Queen and she moved to get to her feet. "I am fine, Your Majesty. I was not expecting you to be here." 

Before the Jedi could stand, the Queen pulled a seat over from the next table and sat. "Please", she whispered, tears filling her eyes, "do not do this to me." 

The Jedi looked perplexed. "Do what?" 

"Call me 'Your Majesty', and act differently. Everyone does now, and just once I would like it if someone treated me as if I was a normal person." 

"Sure", the Jedi smiled warmly, holding out a hand, "I'm Nay." 

The Queen wiped away a single tear with the back of her hand, taking Jedi Nay's hand gratefully after a moment. "My name is Sailor Coruscant." 

"It's an honour to meet you." The Jedi's eyes no longer seemed quite so sad. 

"I am glad to have met you. So, what brings you to this lonely place?" 

"I am trying to find my family." Sailor Coruscant understood. Most Jedi were taken from their families at around the age of six months, and they never knew who their family was, or where they had come from. She was surprised that the Council had allowed Jedi Nay to search for her former life, and said as much. 

Jedi Nay gave her a wry grin. "Oh, they don't like it, and keep trying to stop me, but they can't really do anything when they're all back on Coruscant, and I'm out here." 

Sailor Coruscant's eyes widened as she heard of Jedi Nay's disobedience. Maybe she was not the only Jedi who had become disillusioned about the Council's behaviour. "How long are you staying on Domus Prime?" 

"Until they tell me to come home, I guess." 

"That could be a while. If you need anything while you stay here in the Palace, come and ask me. I would be glad of the excuse to get away from all of them." 

"Is being Queen that hard?" 

"It is difficult. I always have to be on show, everyone watching what I do, a number of them always waiting for that fatal mistake they are sure is coming soon." The Queen sighed. "Have you met the Grand Admiral?" 

Jedi Nay's nose wrinkled up, and the Queen nodded. "I came here to try and find a way to remove him, since the Royal Forces are under his command and he refuses to listen to what I say. I was hoping that somewhere in this library I would find a rule or law that would help, but I am not entirely sure where to look." The Queen bit her lip, looking around the room again. 

Jedi Nay stood up, grabbing the Queen's hands, suddenly looking enthusiastic. "That is a task worthy of a Jedi's skills. I was looking at the law books the other day before the coronation, we will find something, and get rid of that slime." 

The Queen was pulled to her feet and towards a corner of the library. "I thought a Jedi was never supposed to give in to desires for revenge or anger", she muttered, but Jedi Nay heard her and turned around. 

"He deserves everything he is going to get, there is nothing in the Code that forbids justice, just some of the ways of obtaining it." Sailor Coruscant wondered what the Grand Admiral had done to Jedi Nay, but had no time to ask as they started sorting through the law books, to find the one they wanted. 

"You must be joking", the Queen sounded astonished. 

"Nope. It's that simple." Jedi Nay was smug, tossing her head, her fingers reaching towards her lightsaber. 

"Why did no one tell me?" 

"Probably because they knew what you would do if you understood." 

Sailor Coruscant understood Nay's reasoning, but it still seemed too easy. It could not be that simple to remove the Grand Admiral, or was she being naive again? Maybe she was looking for complications to save her pride, since the Queen should have thought of this alternative a lot sooner. Well, she had been busy lately. 

Realising that she was making excuses for her behaviour, the Queen stood, brushing down her dress and glancing at the timepiece. For three hours she and the Jedi had sat, pouring over the books, trying to find an answer that had not been recorded since it was common knowledge. There was supposed to be a banquet starting in about half an hour, but she had no idea if it was still to take place considering that she had been hiding from the officials and her handmaidens all afternoon. 

"So, when are you going to tell him?" Jedi Nay seemed more than just curious. 

"Are you coming to the banquet tonight? As the official representative of the Jedi Council here on Domus Prime, you should most likely be sitting at the head table near me. After all, every Queen needs to have a Jedi around to protect her." Sailor Coruscant grinned. 

"I would be honoured to join you tonight, Your Majesty", Jedi Nay attempted to curtsy, but was laughing too hard. 

The Great Hall of Fuhenteki Na Shiro was filled with people, all seemingly happy and enjoying themselves. The Queen had been forced to meet a great number of people from Domus Prime and the nearby world of Ishta Three, but the only one whose name she intended to remember was that of the Countess of Chikara, who still looked startlingly like the Queen herself. Tamira had matured in the years since the Queen had last met her, growing into a graceful lady with amazing manners. And yet, despite her sweet demeanour, there was a fire in Tamira's eyes that warned the Queen that the Countess was not a person to be trifled with. 

Jedi Nay had arrived early, dressed in her full robes, with her lightsaber in plain view. She looked completely calm and at peace, although the Queen could sense that her nerves were strung very tight. It was obvious that despite her joking behaviour earlier, the Jedi expected trouble. 

Sailor Coruscant was almost too nervous to eat, picking at the food set before her, only half-listening to the conversation at her table. The Grand Admiral had arrived only a few moments ago, but she had not yet spoken to him, knowing that the time was not yet right. 

Jester came up to the head table, jugging a large number of coloured balls for the entertainment of the Court. Many were laughing and joking, but as she looked at the Jester's face, she saw there that he too seemed to be waiting for something. He moved on again, and she had to force herself to breathe. 

Time passed, and after a while it occurred to Sailor Coruscant that the Grand Admiral once again seemed to be avoiding her, but this time there was something malicious to his silence. She was not in the best of moods to begin with, and this new slight just gave her one more reason to be glad that she would be done with him after this night. 

After the last course had been cleared away, Jester came back, this time juggling three lightsabers to the gasps and cheers of the crowd. Sailor Coruscant reached out with her mind, and was amazed to realise that they were real weapons, not just dummy ones as she had half expected. Suddenly she was very worried for Jester. What if he dropped one? Something terrible could happen. She caught herself watching with her senses extended, ready to interfere if she had to, and forced herself to calm down. He would not be performing in front of everyone if he doubted his ability to do it safely. 

The Queen stood, running a nervous hand through her hair. Further down the table, Jedi Nay followed suit. She walked over to where the Grand Admiral was seated, and touched his shoulder. "May I have a word with you?" Sailor Coruscant asked politely. 

He was about to refuse, when something in her eyes made him change his mind. He nodded to his dinner companions, standing and walking some distance away before turning to face her. "What exactly do you want, Your Majesty?" He made the title an insult. 

"I wished to discuss the status of Domus Prime's military with you." Her voice was level, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Jedi Nay watching them both. 

"This is hardly the time or the place, and such matters are not your concern." 

She smiled politely. "Actually, they are." 

"No, Your Majesty, you have no control over the military. That is my domain, not yours, and I would appreciate it if you went back to your happy little party now." He started to walk back to the table, anger clouding his face. 

"Do not turn your back on me." The Queen's voice was regal and commanding, her blue eyes flashing. He turned back, still not realising what she was about to do. "You are no longer in command of the Domus Prime Royal Forces, and I remove your rank as Grand Admiral. In case you have forgotten, dear", she patted his cheek sneeringly, and knocked down the hand that he was about to strike her with, "the Monarch of Domus Prime has absolute control over the Royal Forces, they belong to me, as do you. Now, the only question remains, which path do you want to follow? I wanted to banish you from Domus Prime, but I would much rather prefer it if you simply left, simply because I do not really want to publicly humiliate and disgrace you." 

He laughed at her. "What makes you think that you could ever succeed with this lame ploy? The military will not simply shrug off my disappearance." 

Jedi Nay started walking towards the two of them. "You see", the Queen began, making a gesture towards her, "I have the support of the Jedi in this matter. If you do not comply with my wishes, she can enforce the laws of Domus Prime, and have you imprisoned. Now, I took the liberty of booking you passage to Ishta Three, which leaves later tonight, and a small detachment of my Forces plan on escorting you to your ship. Someone with your military experience should be able to do well there, and if not than the money you embezzled from the Royal Treasury should last you a long while." 

His face had drained of colour as he realised just what she was saying, and that she was serious about the charges she was placing before him. How she had found out about the money he had been taking, he did not know, but he was suddenly very worried. He raised a hand and struck the Queen, drawing his blaster. Jedi Nay was there in a second, and from the other side of the room, Jester threw one of his juggling lightsabers with deadly accuracy. 

The Queen raised her right hand, holding her left one to her cheek in shock. The lightsaber stopped several centimetres from the former Grand Admiral's face, held in place by her will. All conversation in the Great Hall had stopped. 

The blaster fell to the ground. 

Sailor Coruscant took the lightsaber from the air, holding it pointed at him. "It would be easier on us all if you comply." Her voice was like ice, and there was a long moment of silence before he nodded. "Jedi Nay, would you please take this man from my presence, and make sure that he does follow my instructions? I would so hate it if he tried to misbehave again." 

Jedi Nay smiled at the reasonable tone the Queen was employing. "Of course, Your Majesty. If this one tries again to escape, I will not hesitate to do all I must to protect you." Fingering her lightsaber, the Jedi took the former Grand Admiral by the shoulder, to walk him from the room. 

The Queen turned off the lightsaber, turning to the population of the Great Hall who were watching with interest. "I am terribly sorry for the interruption", she said lightly, "please, continue with the festivities. We have much to celebrate tonight." 

She walked over to Jester, handing him back the lightsaber. "Thank you", she whispered, suddenly feeling very tired. 

"Nice catch, Your Majesty", he said jokingly. "Pity though. He might have made a nice wall ornament. So," Jester continued, looking over towards the door by which Jedi Nay had left, "have we seen the last of our delightful Grand Admiral?" 

The Queen smiled. "I think so. Are you going to continue with your juggling now? You are really very good, especially that lightsaber trick." 

"It's an old family tradition, but I think I've done enough for tonight." 

She nodded, placing a hand on his arm. "Thank you again, my friend." 

"No worries." 

The Queen moved back to the head table, but did not remain there long, for she did not wish to sit and answer the questions of everyone in the Great Hall just yet. There would be time for explanations tomorrow, all she wanted to do tonight was sleep and recover. 

The newly elected Queen of Domus Prime looked over the lists of possibilities for the position of Grand Admiral of the fleet. She knew that although many of the names on the list of the Royal Forces High Command were extremely qualified, none of them were the right person for the position. She still needed a new Grand Admiral though, after her dismembering of the Royal Forces when she first arrived on Domus Prime. She wanted someone in the position that she could get along with, who would respect her thoughts and opinions. She needed someone she could tolerate as a person as well. 

Sitting on the uncomfortable throne, she was glad that they had left her alone for a while. Every time she turned around it seemed that someone wanted her authorisation for something, and then there was that matter about having to choose herself a full set of handmaidens. A tradition that, apparently, was very important to the people of Domus Prime. Her people now, she supposed, still trying to get used to the idea. 

A muffled curse at the back of the room caused her to look up in surprise, as the Court Jester struggled with his latest attempt to juggle five dummy lightsabers. One of them had just slipped from his control, and fallen on his head, effectively killing him. 

She smiled slightly, and walked over to him, trying to ignore her hair flowing loose around her knees. It felt so strange having it unbound, she was beginning to realise that there were a lot more unusual customs in this place than she had expected. 

"You really should relax more", she told him as he hastily stood up. "Calm down, and do not try so hard. When you are at peace, then you will be able to manage every task you set yourself." 

He looked up, taking note of her own ruffled appearance, and wondering what was so distressing the new Queen. He already knew that she had forgiven him, understanding that his previous actions had been for the good of Domus Prime. 

Greatly daring, he grinned up at her, putting down the lightsabers and grabbing his rubber chicken from the floor. "So, why are you looking so depressed? Is being Queen too much for you?" 

She considered hitting him over the head with her staff, before remembering that she was a Jedi, and supposed to have better manners than that. Instead she decided to confide in her strange little accomplice. "I need to find a new Grand Admiral for the Royal Forces", she told him, thinking again about any possible candidates for the job. She then remembered something about the Jester, "Do you know anyone who could so serve Domus Prime?" 

He knew instantly, one thought flashing through his mind as if the Force had placed it there itself. 

Although she was not consciously trying to eavesdrop, the Queen suddenly saw a face in the Jester's mind. 'Could it be?' she whispered softly in her own mind. 

"I do know of someone", he said to her, "though I am not sure he will accept such a post. His name is The Riddler." 

She smiled at Jester, running an idle hand through her hair. "Is he suited to the task?" 

"I know of no one better. He is my best friend." There was a mischievous glint to Jester's eyes that made her suddenly wary but it faded as quickly as it appeared. He sighed loudly. "We served together for a time, and faced a number of battles. I can think of no one better for the Royal Forces." 

Remembering when she first met the Riddler, Sailor Coruscant was more than a little worried about his past. Would someone who had been trained as a Dark Jedi be appropriate as the leader of the military? Or would his dark nature make him too unstable to be who she needed? 

She sighed aloud, not voicing her worries, deciding to wait until after she spoke with him. She would not offend Jester by speaking her thoughts yet. She would be patient, and perhaps all her fears would be for nothing. She hoped so anyway. 

"Your Majesty", Jester said in a cheerful voice, coming up behind her as she discussed a few minor details of the upcoming celebrations, "This is my friend, The Riddler, about whom we had been speaking a few days ago." 

She turned around slowly, and immediately recognised the man who stood before her as the same one she had met six years earlier as he pulled back the hood of his cloak, which up until then had been hiding his face. His eyes were the same warm brown, and despite his military bearing she got the feeling that underneath he was still kind. His strong features had not aged at all, and she was she was glad that he would not recognise her. 

He stood very tall, and though he wore no uniform, she knew immediately that he would be the perfect man to lead the Royal Forces. He carried a blaster at his side, and she realised then how lax the Royal Forces really were, that someone armed could come into the throne room. Then again, he looked like the type who would be admired by all in the Royal Forces, a natural leader. None would notice that he was armed, the weapon seemed to be a part of him. She wondered again why he had left the Temple, and if he still followed the Code. 

"I am honoured to meet you", she said warmly, still looking at his eyes. As she glanced at them, she thought she saw a flash of sadness behind them, as ageless as the pain she herself always seemed to feel. The Queen realised that she was staring, and it was only her firm self-control that stopped her from blushing deeply. 

He dropped to one knee before her, and lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing it softly. "It is I who am honoured, Your Majesty. Jester told me much about you, yet he never mentioned that you are the most stunning creature the Force ever revealed to mortal eyes." 

She tried to keep her emotions from showing, to stop her thoughts, and yet she found herself smiling at his outrageous display. Realising what she was doing, she immediately smoothed her expression, making sure that it was as cold as the silence in her heart. 

Sailor Coruscant looked over in the mirror, a little startled by what she saw. The face looking back was unfamiliar, and she wondered if this was who she really was inside. From the other side of the room Tamira smiled at her, and nodded encouragingly. 

"Don't worry", she said with a toss of her hair, "I can take care of things this afternoon. Enjoy yourself." 

How had she ever let them talk her into this? She was the Queen, not some handmaiden. It was her task to sit through the tedious political manoeuvring that took place within Fuhenteki Na Shiro, not Tamira's. Still, it would be good practice, just in case something happened. The books had said that this form of protection for the ruler of Domus Prime had been employed frequently in the past, although no one knew when it had last occurred. 

Then again, she was not suited to the role of Queen either. She was a Jedi, and Jedi did not crave power. Still, she had managed to bring peace to Domus Prime, and that was what she had set out to do in leaving Coruscant. She felt a pang of longing at the thought of her home, and wished that she could at least contact her Master and talk with him. He would be able to tell her what she was to do to make things right again. 

Tamira whisked from the room, Rei following behind. They were met outside by the other handmaidens, and she found herself alone for the first time since she had been crowned Queen. The silence was so refreshing that she decided to sit down and meditate, enjoying the calm. But she could not find her focus, her thoughts kept drifting off towards the problems that she was going to have to face as Queen. 

She was so lonely here in the Palace, and she did not even know who she was anymore. She stood, deciding to go for a walk to clear her mind. She strapped her lightsaber to her belt, glad that in her current costume no one would question her right to carry the weapon, everyone knew that the handmaidens were the Queen's bodyguards and protectors. 

The Palace seemed so sterile and cold as she walked the empty hallways. She remembered it being a lot more friendly when she had visited as a child. She wondered if Rei had asked one of the others to watch over her, but could detect no one following her as she wandered aimlessly. 

She looked up suddenly, hearing the sounds of construction around her. She realised that she must be close to what The Riddler had decided to use as his rooms. She decided to see if he was about, she had wanted to talk with him since he had arrived. And it would be a good chance to test her disguise. 

It was strange, she had recognised him as the same person she had met that afternoon so many years ago, but he had not seen her. She knew he probably did not remember that day, and even if he did there was no way he could recognise her as the young girl he had met. She could not have been more than ten years old at the time, and she wondered why that chance meeting had so affected her mind that she would still remember him. 

She knocked politely on the door, and stood back, biting her lip nervously and trying to decide what she would say to him. From inside came a large crashing sound and a string of curses that made her cringe. Then the heavy door swung open, and she found herself staring down at her feet, not knowing what to do. 

"Is something the matter, handmaiden?" he asked politely, and she looked up, taking in his clothing. Even in his own rooms he still wore the hooded cloak, keeping his face hidden. Once again she found herself wishing that she knew why he was so reluctant to show himself to them. Probably the same reason as why she wore the handmaiden's robes. People could not hurt you if they did not know who you really were. Maybe with time he would become more open. 

She became aware that she was staring up at him, and blushed, taking a step backward. She searched for the right words to say, and stumbled when she did speak. "The Queen asked me to come and see how you were settling in to the Palace. If you are busy I will leave." 

She looked down at her feet again, and he took a step towards her, placing one hand on her shoulder. He smiled at her, and she found herself smiling back nervously. "Do not look so worried, handmaiden. I will not harm you." Looking up at his tall form, she found herself doubting this. 

There was another crashing sound and he looked back in annoyance, shaking his head at the droids that were fixing up the room. His eyes flashed with anger, and he walked from the room, shutting the door behind him. "Perhaps we can go somewhere a little more quiet and talk. My name is The Riddler." 

She suddenly realised what she had forgotten. She could not call herself Hikari-No, he might remember that name and who she had been before, and she certainly would not identify herself as the Queen. That would mean that she never had any freedom. She panicked for a moment, and yet when the answer came to her, she found herself smiling. 

"I am Catherine", she said, knowing that her friend would have approved. 

The Riddler grinned at her, "That's a pretty name." 

Catherine smiled in sudden happiness and release, as though the shadows which haunted her had left for a time, and she was truly at peace here in the company of the new Grand Admiral. And as she listened to the sound of the Force in her heart, she realised what she could hear was ice starting to crack. 


	13. Epilogue

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Epilogue

It was the second anniversary of her reign, but she did not feel much like celebrating, lost as she was in a hazy world of remembrance. Dressed in the blue gown she intended to wear for the celebrations, the Queen of Domus Prime, Sailor Coruscant, stood on the balcony of her rooms to watch the sun set over the city below. 

How had the time passed so quickly? It seemed as though it was only a few hours since she had been a child filled with apprehension at being asked to visit the Princess, and yet now she was Queen of a unified Domus Prime. And now, she had a feeling that Domus Prime was about to be asked to take an active role in the Galaxy once more, for all of the reports she had been receiving lately seemed to suggest that the Sith were moving openly, actively preparing to take action against the people of Lucas Land. 

This grieved her more than she had admitted to her advisers, and she had only told the Riddler and Jester what she suspected, because she knew they could be trusted. If something was to happen, it would be the Grand Admiral Riddler who would lead the Royal Forces against the Sith. The only flaw in this plan was that he might not return. 

She knew that he was a powerful Dark Jedi, she had sensed as much back in the Temple all those years ago. But the Queen wondered if he would be strong enough to defeat the Sith. She hoped so, but was afraid, for although she would never admit it aloud, The Riddler was far too dear to her for her to ever risk losing him. Still, he was also the Grand Admiral, and the only one suited for leading the Royal Forces. He had to go. 

For a long time she stood there, the traditional make up on her face hiding any emotion that she felt. Along the horizon, faeries flew across the face of the sun, glittering in changing colours which brought a smile of remembrance to her face. She stood without moving, watching their magical dance in the fading light, not daring to make a wish, but simply content to enjoy the beauty of this world that was now her own. 

She closed her eyes once the sun had set and the faeries faded, her hands on the railing gripping it suddenly, as though she could not stand on her own any longer. She pushed herself back up, and opened her eyes once more. 

On the wind came the faintest hint of childish laughter, innocent and pure, and she turned her head as though expecting someone to be there. But she was alone. 

"I promise." 

The words were no more than a whisper, a wish to the ghosts of the past, captured by the wind that was suddenly blowing around her, causing her hair to trace patterns in the air around her face and her dress to sway around her feet. 

Sailor Coruscant wondered if they could hear her words, as she gave away her soul to Domus Prime, to Catherine, to living out someone else's dream. She had come such a long way from the young Padawan who had come here at her Master's side to learn about the politics of one small system. But Hikari-No was gone, she had died on the same day as Catherine, leaving nothing behind but the Queen of Domus Prime, Sailor Coruscant. 

"I will protect them for you", Sailor Coruscant whispered to the empty air, and her words seemed to echo around her, "and I will never forget." 

And on her cheek glistened one silver tear. 

The darkness.  
It comes to claim us all someday.  
It has already taken you.  
And one day,  
I too will become a part of that Silence.  
But until that day,  
Far off in the future,  
I will keep my promise. 

I will fight where you can not.  
I will protect them for you.  
I will do everything you could not.  
I will fulfil your dreams.  
I will complete your destiny. 

In my heart I know,  
I will never forget you,  
And I will keep my promise. 


	14. Author's Notes

# Hikari-No's Promise

### Author's Notes

A big thank you goes out to everyone who read and reviewed this story, especially BunnyS. Without you guys writing is not worth the effort.

There are more adventures of Sailor Coruscant, but due to the style of writing I can't post them here on fanfiction.net (they were written by my friends and I at our message board). However, if you would like to read them, go to:  
[http://www.wattosjunkyard.com/domus_prime/][1]  
where you will find the story that inspired Hikari-No's Promise.

There is also a prequel which I will post soon, called "Echoes of the Future". It's set in the Sapphire Millennium time, and deals mainly with Princess Amaterasu and her handsome Prince Nazoru.

Again, a big thanks to everyone who made it to the end with me.

Sailor Coruscant  
kat_b7@yahoo.com 

   [1]: http://www.wattosjunkyard.com/domus_prime/



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